Telangana at Forefront in Healthcare: KTR

The Telangana government was at the forefront of providing such healthcare, which has not been done by the public sector in the country, to the people of the State, Minister KT Rama Rao said. Addressing a meeting of Ayush doctors in the city, Rama Rao said the endeavor of TRS, in the future, would be to build on the work done so far with regard to healthcare and further provide improved and better medical services to the people. A large number of Ayurveda, Unani and Homoeopathy doctors from different districts of the State attended the Ayush Doctors with KTR meeting. Rama Rao in his address, which touched upon the various path-breaking healthcare initiatives of the Telangana government, said the State was spending ₹7000 crore a year on healthcare. He also heaped praise on Health Minister Dr C Laxma Reddy under whose stewardship, medical services and facilities in Telangana practically leapfrogged on several fronts. It was the vision of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao who wanted top-of-the-range medical care to be made available even to the poor and Dr Laxma Reddy worked hard to make this happen, Rama Rao said. For instance, Area hospitals in the State did not have intensive care units. The previous governments were insensitive to the health needs of the people until Laxma Reddy became Health Minister. Not just that, many hospitals also now have neo-natal ICUs, he said.

Similarly, the credit for starting blood banks at hospitals across the State goes to the Health Department and TRS government. Among the facilities that were created were also the 40 dialysis centers at government hospitals, which are the only ones in the country to use single use disposable items. It was the Chief Minister’s goal of good healthcare that such developments were possible, Rama Rao said. The Chief Minister demonstrated what a humanitarian government can achieve, he said. Thanks to programs such as Amma Vodi, institutional deliveries increased from 30 percent to 50 percent in the State. This resulted in elimination of unnecessary caesarean operations and hysterectomies, which were being performed under the Arogyasri scheme just so that hospitals could make money of hapless women, Rama Rao said. Referring to the Kanti Velugu scheme, he said very few States had interventions on to improve healthcare for the poor and needy on this scale. “There is much more to be done and we will improve the services further”, he added. Referring to some issues raised by Ayush doctors, Rama Rao said a meeting can be arranged with some Ayush fraternity representatives where these can be discussed in detail. He also said the demand for a bridge course for Ayush doctors, who may want to also acquire an Allopathic medicine degree, would be explored. “Laxma Reddy is an Ayush doctor and is a credit for us. I am sure he will solve the problems or challenges faced by you,” Rama Rao said.

Referring to possible confusion amidst the political heat related to elections, he said, “The tu tu main main, tu kitta main kitta, dekhlenge dekhlenge, will go on. I have faith that the people are with us. TRS implemented many programs for improving education, health and development for providing immediate relief to the poor as well meet long-term needs of the people and the next generations to come,” Rama Rao said. Referring to the peaceful atmosphere prevalent in the State, Rama Rao said, every year curfew somewhere or the other was being clamped. “But under a secular Chief Minister who practices his faith, but also treats every other religion and belief with all the respect they deserve, there has been peace in every corner of Telangana,” he said. Laxma Reddy said the Chief Minister’s schemes and plans in all sectors made the rest of India look at Telangana for inspiration. The Chief Minister was giving a lot of importance to healthcare for the poor, he said. Lok Sabha member B Vinod Kumar said under the TRS government, people’s faith in government hospitals increased many fold. “Telangana is the capital of Ayush streams and there is also a need for more research in these fields,” he added. – Telangana Today