Background
Located in an urban setting and catering to a population of 88,000, the JP Nagar Urban PHC is a non-delivery point facility that manages a daily outpatient load of 50–70. Despite a small team of five staff, the UPHC manages two sub-centres and conducts around 400 vaccinations monthly. However, the absence of a pathologist and diagnostic infrastructure resulted in frequent sample referrals and delayed case management.
Intervention by SELCO Foundation
To enhance diagnostics and streamline patient care, SELCO Foundation implemented a suite of solutions, including: DRE: Hybrid solar-energy design to ensure reliable power BE: Ventilation improvements for better working conditions MedTech: PoCT for kidney, liver, and heart, digital microscope, digital stethoscope, hematology analyzer, TSH and UTI test kits HR Skilling: Training and communication modules for better service delivery"
Problem Statements
30% of diagnostic samples (e.g., smears) sent to referral hospitals weekly due to lack of pathology services Limited staff skills to detect heart murmurs in children during school health programs Need for TSH, HbA1c, and full ANC profiling Time lost in referrals impacted timely diagnosis and patient care
The installation of easy-to-access IEC rack and a number of PoC tests has saved time of the community and also helped in better patient management Dr Geetha, Medical Officer in-charge
Impact
Reduced referrals by bringing key tests in-house as digital pathology allows for tele-pathology services
Improved time management for both staff and patients
Strengthened preventive and primary care in NCDs and infections