Hyderabad: The Telangana State Budget presented on Friday has cut the allocation for the vital health sector. An amount of Rs 5,536 crore has been allocated for the health sector, down from Rs 5,976 crore allocated in FY18-19.
Though the health budget has been reduced, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said, “On the lines of Kantivelugu, we have promised to organise special camps throughout the state for dete-cting ailments related to eye, nose, throat and dental. Towards fulfilment of this promise, we are making all arrangements.”
He said that the Kantivelugu programme is going on very successfully and eye testing of 1.52 crore people has been done while spectacles have been provided to 50 lakh people.
About the KCR Kits programme, the Chief Minister said that the percentage of deliveries in government hospitals has increased from 33 per cent to 49 per cent.
“At the time of the formation of the state, the infant mortality rate was 39 per 1,000. Today, it has come down to 28. The maternal mortality rate has come down from 91 to 70,” Mr Rao said.
While the allocation for medicines was Rs 146 crore in the combined state, the state government has tripled the allocation to Rs 440 crore.
