State to build 100 new PHCs, boost rural healthcare

Vijayawada: The state government is constructing 100 Primary Health Centre (PHC) buildings at a cost of Rs 194 crore, Health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav announced in the Legislative Council on Tuesday.

Responding to questions raised by members regarding PHC infrastructure, the minister said that 1,144 PHCs are currently functioning across the state, all operating in their own buildings. In addition, 88 new PHCs have been sanctioned and are under construction at various stages. The government has also identified the need for new buildings for 12 PHCs and is taking steps to address the requirement.

To strengthen healthcare services for the rural poor, the government has undertaken major repairs to 976 PHC buildings and initiated infrastructure development works in 152 newly established PHCs, he said.

The minister further informed the House that there are 1,144 rural PHCs and 560 Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) functioning in the state. To improve accessibility and service delivery, the government recently recruited 2,500 doctors and paramedical staff. Steps are underway to appoint another 110 doctors shortly.

He stated that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has launched the ‘Sanjeevani’ programme to promote preventive healthcare through individual-based Electronic Health Records (EHR).

To ensure effective implementation, the government has entered into agreements with Tata MD for staffing support and with the Gates Foundation for technology transformation. Training has also been provided to staff under the programme.

The minister said trained doctors and nursing staff are conducting deliveries at PHCs wherever facilities are available. While ultrasound and TIFA scans are required for maternal care, these services are currently available at 30-bed Community Health Centres (CHCs). Under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), Unique Health IDs are being created to digitise individual health records. In the last 25 months, 19 dialysis centres have been sanctioned, he added, clarifying that dialysis services are available at CHCs and not at PHCs.