Tele-ophthalmology in all govt hospitals

Tirupati: The Principal Secretary of Health, Medical and Family Welfare Dr Poonam Malakondaiah has said that tele-ophthalmology system will be introduced in the State soon. With this, eye care treatment can be provided through the digital medical equipment and telecommunications technology even when a patient is at a remote PHC.

Ophthalmic disease screening and diagnosis will be done to the patients and even the spectacles will be given to them, she said. Speaking to the media at SVR Ruia Government General Hospital here on Monday after visiting various wards in the hospital, she said, the MRI scan equipment will be installed in Ruia Hospital within three months.

Pediatric OT will be opened in the new IPW building soon, she said and added cardiothoracic OT will also be established in Ruia. When asked that the Cardiology department was itself in a bad shape, she said one by one will be sorted out. The Principal Secretary expressed satisfaction that the medical services were improved in Ruia compared to the past.

The medicines to the government hospitals are being supplied according to the need keeping in mind the increasing patients and operations. Hospital Superintendent Dr B Sidda Naik took the staff shortage issue at Ruia hospital to the notice of the Principal Secretary. Earlier, she reviewed the situation in the district with medical and health officials.

She asked them why about 34 maternal deaths took place in the district from April this year. She instructed them to provide ECG facility in the Chandranna Mobile vehicle to prevent deaths from cardiac arrest of pregnant women and provide iron tablets sufficiently to protect them from the risk of low hemoglobin percentage.

District Medical and Health Officer Dr S Vijaya Gouri, DCHS Dr Sarlamma and other officials attended the review. Meanwhile, the AP Junior Doctors Association leaders Dr M Venkata Ramana, Dr Bhanu Prakash and Dr Vishnu Bharadwaj have met Dr Poonam Malakondaiah and submitted their representation to enforce the law against quackery throughout the State for which she responded positively. They sought for statewide orders against quackery.

They also requested to enhance the regular stipend with effect from 2016 and ensure steps to release the stipend regularly. To facilitate the super speciality courses and to establish Skill lab, they requested her not to handover the Government Maternity Hospital Building to SVIMS. They pressed upon the need to establish a 24-hour central lab at Ruia Hospital.