Ensure 4 lakh eye operations every year, Harish Rao tells officials

Hyderabad: Health Minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday directed officials to ensure around four lakh cataract operations are conducted every year.

He made the remarks while reviewing the Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (VVP) work. Rao said the State had facilities to take up four lakh operations every year, but presently only 25,000 are being done.

"Officers should fix a target of one lakh operations in VVP hospitals. There should be eye check-up a week in every PHC and send patients to the area hospitals. All hospitals should perform cataract operations. The DMHOs should coordinate and ensure the operations are increased", he stated.

The minister asked officials to increase the long bone surgeries and NCD screening. "Hassle-free services should be provided to dialysis patients. The DCHs, T-diagnostics centres, dialysis centres, blood banks should take responsibility and ensure that there are no interruptions to services.

The minister asked officials to have blood separators, which would be helpful in providing blood to needy patients. "This will also help in separating platelets and be beneficial to patients needing particular blood groups. The government blood banks face 25 per cent blood shortage. The shortage was because there is no proper planning in government hospitals. On birthdays of important leaders, blood donation camps should be organised involving public representatives", he said.

Stating that a majority of doctors were working well; the government gets a bad name because of some", he quipped and asked doctors and other staff not to neglect duties. "Even a small incident at a few places would lead to bad name to the government. Hence medical services should be provided to all without any negligence, advised Rao. Pointing out that surgeries under Arogyasri were low, he said this showed that people don't have confidence in government hospitals or doctors. "Boost the confidence of patients, be affectionate with them and work in a dynamic manner; the government will support you", he said.