Doctors of the New Civil Hospital, private medical associations, including the Surat branch of the Indian Medical Association, Surat Medical Association, Surat Physicians' Association, Homeopathic Medical Association, Ved Road and Katargam Medical Association will also be accommodated in the UHCC, he added.

Bhatt, while stating that the council would now co-ordinate monitoring the health scenario as well as the action taken, added that he was also trying to open a National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) centre in city and that the Government had already begun talks with the NICD.

According to Bhatt, the formation of UHCC was inspired by the work of private and government health organisations after the floods.

The formation of the Urban Health Care Council is the first step in the implementation of an action plan that was formulated under the chairmanship of K V Bhanujan after the recent floods.

Bhatt announced that 33 per cent of the funding of the UHCC would be done by the Government while the remaining amount would be provided by voluntary organisations and industrial houses of the city.

Providing details of the UHCC, Bhatt said that the civil hospital, primary health centres and the ward offices of the Surat Municipal Corporation would serve as the units of the Council. He added that the council will collect samples from one ward per week and after analysing the samples, would decide future course of action.

The UHCC has also been asked to prepare a medical directory, with the names and numbers of medical practitioners, emergency services and other details.

Besides being in charge of health services during a situation like flood or epidemic, the UHCC is also expected to carry out its responsibility in other emergencies as well. Bhatt added that the elected representatives of the people will have to co-ordinate with the council in its functioning.

The precise composition of the council will however be worked out shortly, Bhatt added.