Kamineni opts for govt hospital

Hyderabad: Medical and Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas chose a unique way to send a message to the people that government-run hospitals are capable of extending good medical services on par with corporate hospitals.

For this, the Minister chose to go under knife for his knee replacement surgery at Guntur Government Hospital and the tentative date fixed for the surgery is January 22.

Sources close to the Minister told to The Hans India, that the Minister was suffering from knee pain for last one year or so had been advised to undergo knee replacement surgery four months ago, but Kamineni was postponing for one reason or the other.

“Doctors advised him to undergo surgery long back, but the Minister was deferring it, following the medical and health department coming under severe criticism from several quarters,” the sources said.

Shortage of sufficient staff like doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, and lack of medical infrastructure, and a host of others issues, the Minister had to cope up with. Even the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had expressed his displeasure over the performance of the medical and health department and even his foreign trips let to delay.

Srinivas had also reportedly expressed his disappointment that even the ruling party MLAs and Ministers were not visiting government hospitals, even for simple ailments.

“The Minister wanted the MLAs, Ministers and MPs to pay regular visits to government hospitals so as to build confidence among people in the government hospitals,” the sources pointed. But, none came forward to boost the image of beleaguered government hospitals, so he chose to be the one, sources added.

The Minister confirms that he is going to get treated in Guntur government hospital. “During my college days I had seen MLAs, MPs, Ministers used to make a beeline to the Guntur Government Hospital for treatment and surgeries. But, I had seen none of them preferring the same these days.

And, even common people are unable to trust the standards and capabilities of the government-run hospitals. So, as a Health Minister though I am eligible to get medical treatment anywhere, I wanted to undergo surgery at the Guntur Government Hospital to prove a point, that government-run hospitals are on par with corporate hospitals,” he added.