The Mamata Banerjee government has sanctioned Rs 151 crore to promptly develop 400 new sub-health centres in Bengal to improve healthcare in rural areas ahead of panchayat polls.

The health and family welfare department — of which the chief minister is in charge — in an order on May 10 approved the list of 400 sub-health centres in all 27 health districts. The district authorities were asked to initiate work as soon as possible.

“The chief minister has taken it up as a mission to set up around 10,000 sub-health centres in rural Bengal over five years. These 400 new facilities would help rural people get better healthcare. The government has sanctioned Rs 151.12 crore from the 15th finance commission to set up the sub-health centres,” said a senior health department official.

According to the order, there will be two types of new sub-health centres. For type A, the government sanctioned Rs 32 lakh per centre, and for type B, it allotted Rs 43.50 lakh each.

A senior health department official said the list was prepared after an assessment of the requirements of certain areas and on the basis of the remoteness from block or sub-divisional hospitals. The district administrations have been asked to try to complete the construction of the buildings within two months.

Of the sanctioned sub-health centres, West Midnapore would get 60, which is the largest number for a district. Districts like East Burdwan, Alipurduar, Nadia and Purulia will get 46, 25, 30, and 33, respectively.

Once the infrastructure is in place, the government will deploy nurses and community health officers at those centres. All the sub-health centres will have outpatient departments and undertake primary screening for diabetes, hypertension and other common diseases.