AP to bring all health depts under one roof

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh State Ministry of Health has decided to bring all the health departments under one umbrella for better administration and render effective service to the people.

Barring Public Health Centres functioning under Municipalities and Municipal Corporations, all other sectors, including the hospitals managed by ITDA in the agencies, would come under newly-designated Director of Health Services, to be headed by a Secretary Cadre officer.

“In principle it has been agreed to merge all the departments and we are waiting for a formal approval by the Chief Minister,” said a senior official of the Health Department.

He said 7,617 health sub-centres, 1,061 primary health centres, 275 mobile health units, 185 urban health centres, 73 urban family welfare units, 222 community health and nutrition centres, 190 community health centres, 30 area hospitals, 9 district hospitals, 416 108 ambulances, Arogyasri, 11 medical colleges and 11 teaching hospitals would come under the Director of Health Services.

Transfers, filling up of vacancies and promotions under various departments had proved to be a cumbersome job for the government in the past. Now under one umbrella, a system can be adopted to avoid all the hassles.