Rural health infra being fortified: Damodar Rajanaraimha

Health minister C. Damodar Rajanarasimha, while laying the foundation stone for a Superspecialty Hospital and Mother and Child Health Care Centre in Mancherial, highlighted the government’s commitment to improving healthcare. The projects, costing ₹300 crore, aim to provide advanced medical facilities to the region.

In an interview with the Deccan Chronicle, Rajanaraimha announced plans to establish more sub-centres in interior areas to extend medical services to the underserved population. He pointed out the high prevalence of diabetes in coal belt areas, attributing it to dietary habits, and stressed the need for early detection and treatment.

The minister emphasised a dual approach: facilitating patient access to health centres and deploying medical staff to villages for early diagnosis. He stated, “Patients should be treated as clients and have full faith in doctors at government hospitals.”

To further support emergency healthcare, the government aims to add 160 medical ambulances, including two for tribal areas and one for each mandal. Additionally, kidney dialysis centres will be established in identified locations to cater to patients in need.

Efforts are also underway to increase the number of field-level health workers and recruit more doctors. New health sub-centres are being set up in remote areas, particularly in the Godavariloya Belt of North Telangana, to reach inaccessible regions. The minister assured that the MRI machine at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad will be made operational soon.