Amaravati: Putting the finger right on the pulse, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Government has successfully launched Aarogyasri 2.0 besides wriggling out of Covid third wave and meticulously carrying out the vaccination drive and taking Medicare to the grassroots level through YSR Health Clinics, initiating the process of family doctor concept and sanctioning of new medical colleges during the year which has also put on alert of the new variant. Drastic changes in the medical and health are being brought in for taking quality medicare within the reach of the needy. As many as 809 additional medical procedures were launched under the YSR Aarogyasri Scheme taking the total number of free medical services to 3,255.The annual expenditure due to increased medical treatment in Aarogyasri is Rs 2,894.87 crores Under the Nadu-Nedu program in the medical health sector, the government is revamping the hospitals in the state with Rs 16,255 crore. As many as 11,888 works have been undertaken in the existing and new hospitals, of which 4,851 have been completed so far. Starting from Primary Health centres (PHCs), Village and Ward clinics, Community Health Centres (CHC), Area Hospitals (AH), District Hospitals (DH) and development works relating to teaching hospitals are also being undertaken in the Nadu-Nedu program. Works in this regard are progressing at various levels. Another major initiative taken by the government is the construction of 17 new medical colleges in the state at a cost of Rs 12,268 crore, along with the existing 11 medical colleges.
The new medical and nursing colleges will be built in Paderu, Vizianagaram, Narsipatnam, Rajahmundry, Palakollu, Amalapuram, Eluru, Machilipatnam, Bapatla, Markapuram, Piduguralla, Madanapalle, Pulivendula, Penukonda, Adoni, Nandyala and Parvathipuram.
Under the State government’s flagship programme Family Physician Concept, quality healthcare will be provided at village -level as a preventive measure. The concept will reduce the load on secondary and tertiary hospitals. Every mandal will have four doctors and two ambulances with one doctor and an ambulance touring villages assigned and the regular visits would familiarize the patients and their ailments, thus developing a rapport.
Aimed at extending health care to the rural population, the government is also setting up YSR Village Clinics for every 2,000 population. Of the 10,032 village clinics, 3,673 are ready and an amount of Rs 1,692 crore was sanctioned for the construction. The Village Clinics are envisaged to provide round-the-clock health care services at the village level. Each village clinic will have one ANM (Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery) and one Mid-Level Health Provider (MLHP).
These clinics can perform 14 tests including OPD, disease control programmes, NCD screening, FP services, immunisation, diagnostics and will have 67 types of medicines. Besides yoga and wellness activities are also made available in these clinics. All routine and additional immunisations for children and pregnant women can be done at these clinics.
Flagging off 500 ‘Dr YSR Thalli Bidda Express ‘, the Chief Minister said that these fully air-conditioned vehicles are meant to provide free transport to pregnant women, mother’s, and infants safely back home. The Government has embarked on a program to bring postnatal women home safely and comfortably after delivery from Government Hospitals. These vehicles are enabled with a GPS tracking facility to ensure their safety. Besides that, the government is also paying the mother Rs 5,000 for various needs under Dr YSR Arogya Asara after childbirth.
