Bigger Role for Teaching Hospitals

Hyderabad:Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday announced a slew of reforms in the state-run healthcare sector, including a focused approach to turn the Rajiv Arogyasri scheme into a much more effective programme. The Chief Minister also said that plans are on the anvil for encouraging all the teaching hospitals in the state to provide better healthcare by directing assistance from the CM Relief Fund for patients undergoing treatment at such hospitals.

Revanth Reddy’s announcements came in a statement he made during the Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly, responding to suggestions and concerns expressed by several MLAs on Arogyasri and health care-related issues.

He also said the government will separate hospital administration from hospital services, and a Group I-level officer will be appointed to oversee all non-medical work. “This will free doctors to focus on patient care, the thing they are supposed to do instead of spending time on non-medical tasks,” Revanth Reddy said.

Responding to calls to clear pending Arogyasri dues to hospitals, Revanth Reddy said his government was left a legacy of `627 crore in pending Arogyasri dues by the then BRS government. On average, the Congress government was paying out `89 crore to private and government hospitals on an average per month on the health scheme. The current Arogyasri dues, he said, were `727.75 crore, and payments to hospitals were continuing each month.

So far, the Congress government has paid `2,408 crore towards Arogyasri dues, and the government has also increased the amount that can be paid for each patient under the scheme from `5 lakh to `10 lakh. The CMRF funds, too, will be provided for patients receiving treatment at teaching hospitals, TIMS, and other tertiary government hospitals.

Revanth Reddy said the government was looking at various ways to improve services in hospitals, and one among them was the availability of adequate medical professionals to provide treatment to the poor. Henceforth, the push will be towards referring patients covered under the Arogyasri to teaching hospitals attached to the 35 medical colleges. Patients are not going to these hospitals, and sending patients there will not only ensure better service, but also ensure improving skills of doctors, he said.

In addition, the government will soon launch a dedicated website for NRI doctors visiting Telangana to indicate their willingness and availability to provide their services pro bono at government hospitals and to teach medical students. So far, there has been no system to harness the willingness of NRI doctors from Telangana who were to give back to the state. This will bridge that gap, Revanth Reddy said.

In a public pat on the back to health minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, the Chief Minister said, “It is because healthcare is a complicated subject that requires great understanding and dedication, I personally asked Damodar Rajanarasimha to handle the medical and health portfolio and he has been working hard and staying abreast of everything that is needed to improve health systems and patient care in the state.”

Towards better medicare

Teaching hospitals to become Arogyasri scheme hubs

Special incentives for treating Arogyasri patients

Doctors to be freed of administrative tasks

Targeting 10,000 beds in major govt hospitals

Warangal, Alwal, L.B. Nagar, Sanath Nagar TIMS to focus on specialties

Rs 5 lakh Indiramma Jeevitha Bima for 1.15 crore families