Cuttack, July 10: Residents of Khannagar can hope to get better medical facilities shortly as the civic body will upgrade Manjulata dispensary into a primary health centre and also set up a minor operation theatre and a recovery room there.

The proposed upgrade will be taken up under the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM).

"There are plans to upgrade the dispensary into a primary health centre by spending Rs 75 lakh. However, there has been a delay owing to non-completion of the tender process for the civil work," said NUHM nodal officer Sudhansu Sekhar Samant.

Samant added that the construction would start in the next two months after the tender process was complete.

At present, the dispensary is functioning from a building donated by a person in 1983. It caters to the medical needs of more than 60 patients from Khannagar and nearby localities every day.

"Once the dispensary is upgraded into a primary health centre, the residents will be able to avail better health services," said Prafulla Behera, a resident of Khannagar.

The dispensary lacks proper sitting arrangements and various other basic facilities. "Lack of doctors and medicines at the dispensary creates a lot of problem for those who cannot afford expensive medical treatment at private hospitals," said Siddheshwar Das, a resident of Bidanasi.

A senior official of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation said that apart from Khannagar, three other dispensaries at Siddheswar Sahi, Nayabazar and Jobra would also be upgraded at an estimated cost of Rs 10 lakh each.

Besides, the civic body will also set up six primary health care centres at Tulasipur, Thoria Sahi, Bidyadharpur, Jagatpur, Bamphakud and Odia Bazaar.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for two urban community centres - one at Markatnagar and other at Chauliaganj - on June 10 last year.

The work for the proposed 32-bed community health centre at Markatnagar has already started while the construction for the Chauliaganj centre has reached its final stage.