PUNE: Five Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHC) and two Urban Community Health Centres (UCHC) run by the Pune Municipal Corporation have been rewarded for successfully implementing Kayakalp initiative in 2018-19.

Kayakalp is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW) on May 15, 2015 to promote cleanliness, hygiene and infection control practices in public healthcare facilities. The NUHM’s survey on hospitals in municipal areas of Maharashtra was carried out accordingly.

As per the assessment made by National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) for the financial year 2018-19, Dalvi Hospital in Shivajinagar (an UCHC) stood first in Maharashtra and scored 83.20 per cent in the assessment.

Kashinath Hospital in Lohegaon scored 73 per cent and bagged the second spot for successfully implementing Kayakalp initiative.

Ramchandra Hankare, Head of Health Department, said, “As per Kayakalp programme guideline, the health department has followed six parameters such as hospital upkeep, sanitation and hygiene, waste management, infection control, hospital support system and hygiene promotion.”

The five UPHC facilities that have excelled are Shivshankar Pote Hospital in Sahakar Nagar, Gadikhana Hospital in Shukrawar Peth, Baburao Shewale Hospital in Bopodi, Balasaheb Thackeray Hospital in Katraj and Katraj UPHC.

Hankare further said, “Shivshankar Pote Hospital got the first prize in the category of Urban Primary Health Centre which has also passed several parameters from cleanliness to waste management.”

“The Pune Municipal Corporation administration will organise the award ceremony for selected Urban Primary Health Centres and Urban Community Health Centres soon and will award them with a cash prize,” said Hankare.