90% of medical services should be provided locally: Health minister

MEDAK: Health minister C. Damodar Rajanarsimha said the state government aims to provide quality healthcare to all in the state. The future of citizens is in the hands of medical students and they should serve the patients with utmost care, he said. He suggested that 90 per cent medical services should be provided to people at their places and there is no need to visit cities for the same.

Classes of MBBS students (first year) began at the Government Medical College in Medak on Thursday. The minister said construction of a 220- bed hospital, Narsing College and Paramedical College and all basic infrastructure will be provided by next academic year. The minister said a large section of people in rural areas are unaware of lifestyle diseases.

Damodar Rajanarsimha said diabetics, cancer, hypertension and heart attacks have become common in rural areas. Due to lack of awareness, people neglected the symptoms of severe diseases and faced difficulty in later stages, he said.

Endowments and environment minister Konda Surekha said doctors should be patient-friendly. She said medicos should compete with technology for good results. Medak MP M. Raghunandan Rao, MLA Mynampally Rohith Rao, MLC Sheri Subhash Reddy, TSIIC chairman Nirmala Jagga Reddy, district collector Rahul Raj also spoke on the occasion.