About 43L people benefited from Aarogyasri scheme says Malladi Vishnu

Vijayawada : Andhra Pradesh Planning Board vice-chairman and Vijayawada central MLA Malladi Vishnu said on Saturday the Andhra Pradesh government rendered medical services to 42.91 lakh persons spending Rs 13,471 crore under Aarogyasri scheme in the State in the last five years.

Vishnu said 74,585 persons were benefitted in Vijayawada central constituency limits under the Aarogyasri scheme. He said the YSRCP government has increased the Aarogyasri procedures to 3,257 from 1059 procedures in the state in the last five years.

In a press release on Saturday, Vishnu said Aarogyasri services are not stalled in the State and patients are being provided treatment as usual. He said during the previous TDP rule the Aarogyasri scheme services were provided to only white ration card holders but the YSRCP government extended the services to the families, which are earning below Rs 5 lakh per annum.

He said at present 1.42 crore families were availing the Aarogyasri scheme in the State. The Central MLA said that the TDP and BJP intentionally launched false campaign against the Aarogyasri scheme in the State.

He said the TDP has totally neglected the Aarogyasri scheme and it has no right to talk about the scheme. He recalled that the Aarogyasri scheme was launched by former Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy to render medical services to the poor in the corporate hospitals.

He demanded the TDP leaders to come for a debate on implementation of Aarogyasri scheme services. He said the Aarogyasri services were available in only 919 hospitals in the TDP rule while the number of hospitals extending the services has increased to 2,371 hospitals under the YSRCP rule in the last five years.

He said the Arogyasri network hospitals increased from 72 to 204 in other States. Vishnu also alleged that TDP chief and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu misused the Aarogyasri scheme funds.

He said medical services worth Rs.13,471 crore were extended to 42.91 lakh people in the State. He alleged that the TDP and its allies were leveling baseless allegations on implementation of Aarogyasri scheme due to fear of defeat in the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.