VISHAKHAPATNAM: Education minister Botsa Satyanarayana said the Jagananna Arogya Suraksha (JAS) programme will become a role model for the entire country.
Addressing a meeting after inaugurating a health camp under JAS at Garividi in Vizianagaram district on Saturday, he pointed out that the programme involves screening the health of all people in Andhra Pradesh, followed by diagnosis and treatment of their ailments.
JAS will gather the health data of five crore people belonging to 1.63 crore families. All members of a family will be screened and medicines supplied free of cost. Serious cases will be referred to hospitals.
“This programme has not been launched anywhere in the country,” the minister declared, maintaining that the programme taken up in all village and ward secretariats will run until November 15.
Satyanarayana hoped that following the implementation of the Jagananna Arogya Suraksha programme, the lifespan of people in the state would increase by at least 10 years.
Vizianagaram MP Bellana Chandrasekhar said former chief minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy initiated health welfare with Arogyasri. Now, his son Jagan Mohan Reddy is taking it two steps further, the MP underlined.
The minister visited the help desk, OP registration point, spot registration counter, IT room, doctors’ room, laboratory, medicines counter, nutrition stall and the eye testing centre. Satyanarayana himself took a sugar level test and later interacted with local people.
In Visakhapatnam, YSRC party regional coordinator Y.V. Subba Reddy held a review meeting with mayor G. Hari Venkata Kumari, MP M.V.V. Satyanarayana and other leaders. He suggested that they campaign among people about the necessity of utilising the Jagananna Arogya Suraksha programme.
Inaugurating the programme in Devarapalli in Anakapalli district, Deputy Chief Minister Budi Mutyala Naidu thanked the CM for launching this innovative programme in the state.
Deputy CM Peedika Rajanna Dora described JAS as a boon for people, particularly in agency areas of ASR and Parvathipuram districts, where medical services are inadequate.
Ministers, MLAs and other elected representatives attended the inaugural JAS programme all over north Andhra.
