Central teams laud state’s healthcare services

Vijayawada: Healthcare services in Andhra Pradesh have earned appreciation from Central medical teams for their accessibility, quality and effective delivery across districts. Visiting as part of the 17th Common Review Mission, the teams noted that maternal and child health services are reaching people efficiently, and citizens expressed satisfaction with hospital treatment standards.

The teams also commended the state government for ensuring job security and gratuity benefits for ASHA workers, as well as for their dedicated service in coordination with ANMs and CHOs at the community level. With greater awareness about chronic diseases, the response to non-communicable disease (NCD) screening has significantly increased, they observed.

Two separate Central teams toured Parvathipuram Manyam and Chittoor districts from November 4 to 7, visiting 19 hospitals ranging from sub-health centres to district headquarters hospitals.

They interacted with patients and local communities to assess the reach of government health initiatives. On Saturday, the preliminary findings were presented in Mangalagiri to health and family welfare commissioner Veerapandian, secondary health director Chakradhar Rao and NHM programme officers.

Special focus was laid on maternal services, teams interacted with pregnant women and new mothers to verify access to medicines, vaccination coverage, institutional deliveries, and benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. They also reviewed adolescent health clinics, NCD centres, TB units, dialysis centres, one-stop crisis centres, and telemedicine facilities.

In Kuppam, the team examined the performance of the e-Sanjeevani teleconsultation service and appreciated local initiatives under the Care and Grow and Maina Mahila schemes. They also checked school health programs, including iron–folic acid tablet distribution and sanitary napkin supply for girl students.

Key recommendations include appointing doctors in NCD clinics, strengthening the e-Aushadhi drug supply system, providing power backups for sub-centres, improving biomedical waste management, and expanding TB X-ray and counselling services. The teams also suggested completing pending cataract surgeries at the earliest.