Visakhapatnam: Making quality health services in Andhra Pradesh broad-based, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated five government medical colleges on Friday. He was personally present to inaugurate the government medical college in Vizianagaram town and, in virtual mode, opened four MCs in Eluru, Nandyal, Machilipatnam and Rajamahendravaram.
Addressing the students in the presence of ministers and MLAs, the Chief Minister said serious efforts were being made to improve the health services so as to reach medi-care to every village in the state. “I request you to work for at least one year in a government hospital by supplementing the services of regular doctors,’’ the Chief Minister said.
He said the new medical colleges were being developed with the principal aim of providing good medical services free of cost to the people near their homes.
The Chief Minister said there were only 11 medical colleges in AP from 1947 till 2019, with 966 seats. “The seats would go up to 4,735 seats by the time the work on all the 17 colleges are completed by the end of 2026,” he said.
Similarly, the nursing seats were being increased from existing 1,090 seats to 2,290 seats by constructing 18 more nursing colleges. The existing 11 medical colleges' infrastructure facilities were being increased with a fund allocation of Rs 3,826 crore under the Nadu–Nedu programme.
Among the new services, 10,032 village clinics and 542 urban health centres were established from curative treatment to preventive care under the Family Doctor concept. All general hospitals have medicines prescribed by WHO and GMP, the CM said.
About expansion of the Aarogyasri health insurance scheme, he said 3,255 procedures including cancer were being treated now, which numbered only 1,050 in the past. Similarly, the number of referral hospitals has increased from 900 to 2,258 during the last four years.
“We are running 2,204 ambulances to bring patients from their homes to their nearest hospitals,’’ Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
Taking pride in filling all the vacancies in the health sector, the Chief Minister said the state government appointed 53,126 health staff during the last one year.
He said the national average of specialist doctor vacancy was 61 per cent while AP has only 3.96 per cent. In the nurses vacancy category, the national average was 27 per cent while it was zero in AP. The national average of lab technicians vacancy was 33 per cent while in AP all such posts have been filled.
“We are following a zero vacancy policy by filling the vacancies at regular intervals after creating a medical recruitment board,’’ the Chief Minister said.
He said the innovative Jagananna Suraksha programme was being launched from September 30, which would continue for 45 days to identify diseases in all the villages in the state. This would help in mapping the health condition of the people.
Before concluding his speech, the Chief Minister told the students, “Not all angels have wings, but some have stethoscopes.’’
Health special chief secretary M.T. Krishna Babu said in his address that the government has paid Rs 4.5 crore for establishing the e-library and hoped the students will gain immense medical knowledge by using this facility. “Students can take admission in these medical colleges by paying just Rs 10, 000,” he said.
