TS Govt staff can use health cards in pvt hospitals soon

​Mahbubnagar: All government employees, including teachers, would soon be in a position to use health cards in notified corporate hospitals for free or cashless health checkups and treatment as certain issues relating to the provision would be sorted out with the participating hospitals in the next two days, according to Health Minister C Laxma Reddy.

Addressing the 2nd TSUTF Mahasabha at ZP grounds here on Saturday, the minister said: “We have been conducting regular discussions with corporate hospitals for the past one month and are about to finalise the agreement with some hospitals.

We have already signed MoUs with 11 corporate hospitals and soon government employees will be able to use their health cards in these corporate hospitals.”

The minister said that the government was planning to open five or six government hospitals, especially for government employees with employee health card (EHC) for free and cashless treatment on par with multi-specialty hospitals.

The minister praised the role played by teachers and various unions during the Telangana movement and sought their continued support in the process of reconstruction of the new State.

“The government is spending Rs. 84,000 on every student for education.

The government has started many English medium schools during the past two years. To improve the quality of education, the government has introduced digitisation of education in all the schools.

Similarly, it has taken drastic steps to improve facilities in primary healthcare centers. It has also set up ICU centers in five district headquarter hospitals.

“Our good work is reflected through national award for Telangana health department as our State has seen 20 per cent increase in patients visiting government hospitals,” the minister remarked.

Apart from improving facilities in government hospitals, the State government was trying to help patients on humanitarian grounds.

It had launched free ambulance services to carry dead bodies from hospitals. Health and education were two important sectors for developing society.

So, irrespective of parties giving ideas and suggestions, the State government was committed to make a Golden Telangana, he said.

Eminent educationist Chukka Ramaiah said, “Teachers must inculcate value system and also play a big role in improving the quality of education.

“We must learn to question the government and only then we can achieve better change, if not the government will take away our rights and destroy the unions.

To avoid such situations, the teachers and teachers’ unions must work collectively, act collectively, and achieve collectively,” he observed.

Srinivas Goud, MLA, said, “Mahbubnagar is the least literate district in the State. Only 48 per cent of students are opting for government schools.

This is mainly because of the failure of our education system and lack of quality in education. The main reason for such a situation is shortage of teachers, absenteeism and lack of accountability.

“To bring about a change, we should set an example by admitting our children in government schools,” he remarked. He asked the TSUTF to conduct in-depth discussions and come out with concrete suggestions.

Sudhakar Reddy, Chief Whip in the Legislative Council, said that there was a need for the government to bring in drastic changes in the education system and ensure proper student to teacher ratio in schools.

He said it was important for the unions to raise these issues at frequent intervals with the government and help improve the education system. A. Narsi Reddy, State President of TSUTF, presided over the meeting.