Mangaluru: “Evening clinics will be opened in four urban primary health centres in the city by the end of this month,” said food and civil supplies Minister U T Khader.

He was speaking in a meeting held at DC office on Monday with health department and other department officials.

Sadashiv, District Project Management Officer, National Health Mission (NHM) and Karnataka Health System Development and Reform Project (KHSDRP) said that the clinics would be opened in association with private medical colleges. The Health Department is now in the process of signing memoranda of understanding with these medical colleges.

The clinics will come up at Shakthi Nagar and Kulur with A.J. Hospital and Research Centre, at Bunder with Yenepoya Medical College and at Yekkur, in association with K.S. Hegde Medical Academy.

The clinics will remain open from 4.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. The private medical colleges would post a doctor and the Health Department would depute two staff nurses to the clinics. Fevers and other general ailments will be treated at the clinics. In addition, blood smears would be collected and blood pressure would be checked.

Sadashiv said that five health kiosks are now functioning in temporary locations at Kannur, Kudroli, Krishnapura, Meenakaliya and Jeppinamogaru. “The ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) of the respective area served there for two hours in the afternoon after completing the field visit in the forenoon. Blood smear collection and checking blood pressure are being done in those kiosks,” he said.