Aarogyasri: Procedures covered to go up from 2,446 to 3,254

Vijayawada: Giving top priority to protecting people's health, the State government has decided to increase the total procedures to be covered under the Aarogyasri from the existing 2,446 to 3,254, according to Minister for Health Vidadala Rajini.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Friday, the Minister recalled that former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy launched Aarogyasri with 942 procedures and during the TDP regime, Chandrababu Naidu added only 117 procedures.

She said that now Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was keen on increasing the procedures to 3,254 to cover high-end medical procedures too.

The Minister said that the Chief Minister was giving more priority to health sector and spending Rs 1,300 crore per year towards the health sector. She said the State government developed YSR village health clinics, urban health centres and government hospitals under the Nadu-Nedu programme. In addition the government is going to spend Rs 8,000 crore to set up 17 medical colleges. Condemning the allegations made by the TDP and some section of the media on health sector in the State, the Minister said that the government was ensuring quality treatment for the poor in the hospitals.

They were being provided treatment in corporate hospitals under the Aarogyasri scheme. AP stands as a role model for other States in this regard, she said.