HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Wednesday laid the foundation for a 2,000-bed facility at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (Nims), as part of the hospital’s expansion plan on the occasion of Health Day under the TS Formation Day celebrations.
The additional facility will be named ‘Dasabdhi Vaidya Bhavanam’ and is being built at Rs 1,571 crore. It will be equipped with advanced operation theatres and modern medical services.
On the day, the Chief Minister also launched the nutrition kits scheme for pregnant women and presented the kits to six pregnant women to kick off the kit distribution.
The Chief Minister said, “It is a remarkable occasion today that we have laid the foundation for the expansion of the Nims hospital, to become the largest hospital in the country. The government is committed to the health and well-being of the people of Telangana and in that effort, the budget allocation for the health sector by the state government increased from Rs 2,100 crore in 2014 to Rs 12,367 crore in 2023-24. Moreover, the bed capacity in the state has increased from 17,000 beds to 50,000 beds, alongside the existing 50,000 oxygen beds.”
Chandrashekar Rao said that the government was also focused on ensuring the good health of pregnant women and newborns, with the nutrition kits helping ensure that a child does not suffer stunted growth or suffer from any developmental issue.
Chandrashekar Rao also asked the health officials to increase awareness among the public so that the measures taken by the government could reach the people. He also said that world-class medical facilities were now available in the state and people of Telangana need not go to foreign countries for treatment anymore.
The Chief Minister also appreciated the efforts of doctors in handling the Covid-19 crisis and lauded the Gandhi Hospital for providing medical care in times of pandemic to patients. He called on the health authorities to focus more on innovation, research and development.
Health minister T. Harish Rao said that it was due to “the visionary thinking of the Chief Minister Rao” that the state could excel in the health sector and programmes like Kanti Velugu and nutrition kits have been successful, with extensive public outreach and participation.
Ministers Mahmood Ali, Vemula Prashant Reddy and Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Rajya Sabha member K. Keshavrao, health secretary S.A.M. Rizvi and Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari were present at the event.
