KCR's visit to Gandhi hospital boosts morale; other ministers also start visiting

Hyderabad: Government hospitals have begun attracting unusual attention all of a sudden, thanks to Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao's visit to Gandhi Hospital on Wednesday.

A day after the CM's visit, several ministers made a beeline to government hospitals in their respective districts to interact with doctors, staff and Covid patients, so as to instill confidence among them and ensure better treatment facilities on par with private hospitals for free.

As the CM's Gandhi Hospital visit evoked a good response from various quarters, he wants to continue his 'government hospitals yatra' along with finance minister T. Harish Rao. The two would visit government hospitals in district headquarters starting with Warangal MGM Hospital on Friday.

Energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy visited the government hospitals in Nalgonda district on Thursday. Roads and buildings minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy visited hospitals in Nizamabad district. Endowments minister A. Indrakaran Reddy went to hospitals in Adilabad district, Panchayat Raj minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao and women and child welfare minister Sathyavathi Rathod did so in Warangal, transport minister Puvvada Ajay in Khammam and agriculture minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy in Mahbubnagar district.

Government hospitals and the public health sector are getting more prominence after the Chief Minister took over the health portfolio from Etala Rajendar on May 2.

He has roped in two key ministers — K.T. Rama Rama Rao and Harish Rao -- to handle crucial issues of Covid vaccination, injections and recruitment of health staff in government hospitals etc. Rama Rao was appointed as chairman of the state task force on procurement of vaccines and medicines. He is working on getting increased supplies of vaccines from the Centre and is also engaged in discussions with vaccine manufacturers. Harish Rao is dealing with the day-to-day administration of the health department on behalf of the CM.

The CM has decided to set up 48 oxygen production plants in major government hospitals in all districts besides opening six new medical colleges in the government sector, mostly in interior and backward districts.

The medical fraternity in government sector is upbeat over the visits by the CM and the ministers to government hospitals and they are hoping this will boost the image of hospitals as well help
spruce up the infrastructure.