Mancherial: Health minister C. Damodar Rajanarasimha and IT and industries minister D. Sridhar Babu jointly laid the foundation stones on Thursday for a super specialty hospital and a mother-and-child healthcare centre in Mancherial. The projects, estimated at a cost of Rs 300 crore, aim to boost healthcare infrastructure in the region.
Speaking on the occasion, minister Rajanarasimha emphasised the state government’s commitment to providing quality education and healthcare. He highlighted the government’s efforts to develop medical infrastructure and human resources, particularly for rural and tribal areas. “Our goal is to ensure 90 per cent of the population receives medical care locally, while only 10 per cent would need to travel to cities for treatment,” he said.
The health minister announced plans to establish 74 trauma care centers at identified locations to save lives in road accidents. He noted that 108 accident-prone black spots have been identified on main roads, with super specialty hospitals being set up in Mancherial in north Telangana and Mahbubnagar in the south. Trauma care centers will be located every 30-33 kilometers to provide timely medical assistance.
Damodar also revealed plans to establish cancer care centres across the state and said that 163 new procedures have been added under the Arogya Sri health scheme, along with a 22 per cent revision in medical treatment rates for corporate hospitals. These revisions have added an additional financial burden of Rs 424 crore on the state government. He further stated that 7,000 nursing officers have been recruited to strengthen the healthcare workforce.
He urged food inspectors to ensure inspections cover government hostels, schools, restaurants, and hospitals.
IT minister D. Sridhar Babu criticised BRS leaders for spreading false allegations and obstructing developmental initiatives. He pointed out that while integrated drug supply centres were previously set up in each district, the Congress government has now implemented block-wise drug supply centres to improve medicine accessibility.
MLA K. Premsagar Rao expressed optimism about Mancherial’s future, stating that the city is on its way to becoming a medical hub. He added that the new facilities would benefit not only local residents but also the poor from Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and seven surrounding Assembly constituencies.
