The Centre has decided to set up urban primary health centres in Muzaffarpur town to stem the rush of patients to government hospitals and provide care to poor people.

At present, Muzaffarpur district has 56 primary health centres (PHCs), all of them in rural areas.

Under the National Urban Health Mission of the Union government, three PHCs would be set up in Muzaffarpur town. Besides providing quality healthcare to economically challenged people, it would also stem the rush of patients to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and Muzaffarpur Sadar Hospital.

Deputy director, health, S.M. Mushtaque Ahmad on Friday said: “Three PHCs would be opened in Muzaffarpur soon. The central government has selected Muzaffarpur as it is the biggest town in north Bihar. The beneficiaries of these centres would be urban below poverty line families.”

The centres would first provide outpatient service before expanding. In the second phase, operation theatres and pathological laboratories would also be opened.

He added that the Centre had already provided funds for establishment of the health centres.

Doctors in the district are happy with the development.

G.K. Thakur, superintendent, SKMCH, said: “This will improve the quality of health care in government hospitals as well. The rush of patients to the outpatient department at SKMCH is often a serious challenge for staff. Patients, too, face problems as they have to wait for hours.”

“We have been appealing to the government to open more OPDs for the past few years. Patients will now be able to go directly to the PHCs,” he said.