KCR vows to revitalise healthcare sector

Convenes a review meeting with Finance Minister, Chief Secretary and higher officials

Hyderabad: Aiming to make available advanced medical treatment facility to all needy, Telangana government has drawn up plans to upgrade the public health sector in a big way, including establishment of advanced medical lab facilities in the districts and setting up organ transplantation units on par with the corporate hospitals in all general hospitals in the State.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday held a detailed review meeting on the status of health and medical facilities in the State and fund requirement for the upgradation of the hospitals and medical infrastructure in the new Financial Year 2016-17.

During the review meeting at his camp office with Health Minister Lakshma Reddy, Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma and other officials, the Chief Minister said four hospitals on par with corporate hospitals, each with 1,000 bed capacity, would be built to provide the best facilities.

He asked to find suitable places for the same – first one at Uppal in LB Nagar area, second at Malkajgiri in Cantonment area, third at Qutbullapur in Kukatpally area and fourth at Serilingampally in Rajendranagar area.

Besides, upgrading King Koti Hospital with multi-specialty women and child care and all other health facilities, the Chief Minister said all these seven top level hospitals, including the Gandhi and Osmania hospitals should be invincible and provide trusted healthcare services. Chandrashekar Rao announced some sops to those working in rural hospitals, powers to use funds, salary hike and asked them to provide a comfortable atmosphere to stay put at the workplace.

He also asked the government doctors, including trainee doctors, to work in villages for some time. Separate centres for women and child care wing in Warangal MGM Hospital will be built and will be attached to the Health University and shift the varsity, medical college and multi-specialty hospital to the Central Jail area. He exhorted the medical and health fraternity to make use of ample funds from towns to village level and offer the best health services.

Based on population and geographical conditions, ten districts should have at least 40 health centres, four each in every district, equipped with MRI, CT scan, ultra sound and mammography, trauma care centres along highways, he said.

Big hospitals should treat kidney, liver and any other transplantation, breast cancer and hemophilia, give medicines and need-based services and all medicines to avoid running for corporate hospitals in cities. Chandrashekar Rao asked Health Minister Dr Lakshma Reddy to lead an official team to Tamil Nadu to study hospital maintenance and public health services to replicate in the State.

Besides strengthening 108 and 104 ambulance services, they should be attached to patrolling police on highways for spontaneous medical services during accidents, he said and asked DGP Anurag Sharma to coordinate with the health officials.