Karnataka govt to open 'Namma Clinics' in the state
Bengaluru(PTI): The Karnataka government will open 438 'Namma Clinics' across the state of which 243 will be in Bengaluru, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Thursday.
The minister was speaking to reporters after inspecting a model 'Namma Clinic' unit in Mahalakshmi Layout in the city.
"We will set up 438 Namma Clinics across Karnataka. Of them 243 will be in Bengaluru. Each clinic will consist of a doctor, a nurse, a lab technician and a group D employee," he said.
Sudhakar said the appointment of 160 doctors have been completed.
The Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has issued a notification to appoint doctors for 'Namma Clinics', which is expected to be completed by the end of this week, he said.
The appointments for the remaining staff have been completed for the 243 'Namma Clinics' in the BBMP limits, he added.
"The programme has been focused to address the healthcare needs of urban poor, especially people falling below the poverty line and those living in huts. Each ward of the city will consist of at least one Namma Clinic and will operate like PHCs. In addition to providing healthcare, the clinics will focus on creating awareness about government healthcare schemes," Sudhakar explained.
As per the guidelines, PHCs in accordance with the population exist in rural areas. However, there aren't enough government healthcare centres in urban areas to cater to the population. Hence, this new scheme has been launched, the minister pointed out.
Sudhakar said the clinics are being established in government and rented buildings, which have an area of 1,000-1,200 Sq.ft.
"The government will incur a cost of Rs 138 crore to maintain the staff each year," he added.
According to him, the clinics will also create awareness about Yoga, Pranayama, Dhyana and food habits.
Apparently taking a cue from Delhi government's Mohalla Clinic, the health department aims to set up 'Namma Clinic' in each ward of Bengaluru, a health department official said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
