Tirupati: Aarogyasri proves to be a boon for poor patients

Tirupati/Chittoor: YSR Aarogyasri, one of the flagship health schemes of the YSRCP government, has been providing much needed solace to the beneficiaries. With the enhancement of annual income limit to Rs5 lakh, more families are benefitting from the scheme. Many people from poor and middle class families could be able to get good medical care under Aarogyasri. Patients can avail free treatment under the scheme for 2,446 treatments. When the treatment expenses cross Rs 1,000, patients can avail Aarogyasri scheme. Patients can go to the hospitals in neighbouring Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states.

In the erstwhile Chittoor district, 1.05 lakh patients underwent surgeries worth Rs 180 crores by utilising the Aarogyasri scheme in 2021-22. Similarly, in 2020-21 Rs 136 crores worth of surgeries performed to 69,810 patients while in 2019-20, surgeries performed to 49,921 patients costing Rs 11 crore in the combined Chittoor district.

In addition to Aarogyasri, YSR Aarogya Asara was being implemented by the government to provide post-therapeutic sustenance allowance to the poor patients during the recovery period as suggested by the doctors. Accordingly, patients will be given Rs 225 per day during the prescribed rest period with a maximum of Rs 5,000 in a month. This wage loss allowance is applicable for 1,519 surgeries to meet the economic needs of the family and other medications.

Government data indicates that 25,247 patients got Rs 11.60 crores in 2021-22 under YSR Aarogya Asara whereas in the previous year Rs 7.42 crores were paid to 14,439 patients. In 2019-20, 5,282 patients got Rs 2.95 crores under the scheme. A patient E Kalesha of Chittoor said that he underwent bypass surgery at SVIMS after suffering from heart ailment which was done under Aarogyasri. Following the recommendations of the doctors, he got another Rs 1,000 under Aarogya Asara too. He said that Aarogya Mitras have been assisting the patients at the hospital from the admission to the discharge.

After the bifurcation of the districts, 11,812 patients underwent surgeries worth Rs 23 crores during the last three months in the new Chittoor district while 4,995 patients were benefited with Aarogya Asara worth Rs 2.44 crores.

Chittoor district Collector M Hari Narayanan reiterated the government's commitment to provide better medical services in government hospitals and giving top priority for public health. YSR health clinics and urban health centres are being set up in rural and urban areas and the construction of these buildings were taken up under Nadu-Nedu.