Upland mandals to benefit

Nellore: Population in upland mandals are going to be benefited with the shifting of district headquarters hospital from Nellore city to Atmakur after the existing facility has been attached to the Government Medical College upgrading it as teaching hospital.

This would also cater to the needs of people of the bordering districts such as Kadapa and Prakasam districts, who cannot travel hundreds of kilometres all the way for medical services during emergency. In fact, the decision was taken long ago soon after the Government

Medical College was started in Nellore but was delayed due to administrative grounds. Now, people’s representatives were also demanding to shift Government General Hospital to the divisional headquarters. Recently, government hospital in Atmakur was upgraded as area hospital with 100 beds and constructed new buildings in 10.5 acres at a cost of Rs 20 crore.

Patients from upland areas and people from Porumamilla, Badvel, Mydukur in Kadapa district and Pamur in Prakasam district visit the hospital for treatment owing to squeezing of quacks in rural areas.

The area hospital has been witnessing huge number of patients with fever and other diseases for medical assistance to the tune of about 350-500
every day. About 60 in-patients are being provided treatment in the hospital. There are three Operation Theatres in the hospital but no sufficient equipment to manage them.

Consequently, authorities of the area hospital had submitted a submission to Health Minister Dr Kamineni Srinivas to upgrade it as District Government Hospital for more facilities and serving the needy of backward upland mandals. If the area hospital is upgraded as the district headquarters hospital, then capacity of the in-patients would be increased from 60 to 250 beds.

Medical, paramedical and other services would also be improved. Recently, the Health Minister held discussions with district administration regarding the shifting of district headquarters hospital to Atmakur as there has been pressure from the local politicos for the facility.

Normally, people from the upland areas such as Atmakur, Udayagiri, Seetharamapuram, Duttalur, Marripadu and Varikuntapadu have to travel at least 100 kilometres to visit district headquarters hospital which is located in Nellore city.

A senior official from the area hospital said they had submitted a request to the State government for shifting the hospital to Atmakur. If the district headquarters hospital is shifted to Atmakur then in-patient capacity would be improved enabling better medical services to the poor.

By P V Prasad