Vacancies Being Filled to Avoid Scarcity of Medical and Paramedical Professionals

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said the recruitment system in the medical and health department should work effectively and the vacancies must be filled from time to time. “No post should remain vacant for more the four weeks,” he said.

He also called for effective steps to end corruption in the department. The recruitment must be done under the supervision of a senior officer and there should be no shortage of staff anywhere, the CM said at a review meeting he held on the department at his camp office in Tadepalli on Tuesday.

Emphasising the key role played by the village clinics and PHCs in achieving the objectives of preventive care, Jagan Mohan Reddy asked the officials to implement the Family Doctor concept in a more efficient manner.

Reviewing the functioning of village clinics, the CM told the officials to make the government hospitals corruption-free and run them on the basis of standard operation procedures (SOPs). Also,  strengthen the grievance-redressal system by prominently displaying the toll free numbers in all hospitals, he said.

“While extending good medical treatment to the patients and keeping track of their health condition, officials should also take steps to ensure that eye tests are conducted at regular intervals at the village clinics,” he said.

The Officials informed the CM that 1,39, 97,189 persons including 35,79,569 hyper-tension patients and 24,31,934 diabetic patients were treated so far in the family doctor programme. Community health officers are being trained in giving first aid, snake bite treatment, IV infusion, wound care, dressing, basic cardiac life support and related issues.

Reviewing the steps taken to prevent sickle cell anaemia, Jagan Mohan Reddy heard from officials that a target of 6.68 lakh tests has been fixed this year. The diagnostic tests would begin in Alluri Sitarama Raju, Manyam and Parvathipuram districts this month.  

Dentists are also visiting the PHCs as part of measures to strengthen the oral healthcare system while steps are also being taken to identify people suffering with TB characteristics by conducting medical tests, officials said.

The CM directed them to ensure proper treatment to such people at the right time. Aarogyasri cards containing QR code should be given to all new-born babies in a family and details of their health status should be mentioned in the cards, the CM stressed.

He also took stock of the steps being taken to provide basic infrastructure in the new medical colleges at Vizianagaram, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Machilipatnam and Nandyal, which are starting classes this year, and in the Paderu, Adoni and Pulivendula medical colleges that are commencing classes next year.

The CM told them to ensure quality in the construction works so that the structures would remain strong for longer periods.

Health minister Vidadala Rajini, chief secretary Jawahar Reddy, special CS Krishna Babu, health and family welfare director J. Nivas, Aarogyasri CEO Harinder Prasad, APMSIDC chairman Chandrasekhara Reddy, VC & MD Muralidhara Reddy, APVVP commissioner Venkateswar, transport secretary PS Pradyumna, director general of drugs Raghurama Reddy and other officials were present.