Aarogyasri coverage raised to Rs 25 lakh

Vijayawada : Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the Medical and Health Department officials to instill confidence among people that all Aarogyasri card holders can avail free medical treatment up to Rs 25 lakh under YSR Aarogyasri.

At a review meeting on the launching of the extended Aarogyasri scheme held at the Camp Office here on Wednesday, the Chief Minister told officials that the Government has a responsibility to extend the benefits of health and education to people as a matter of right. Officials should give an assurance to people that any eligible person who is in need of medical treatment for any ailment can avail it free of cost up to Rs 25 lakh under Aarogyasri.

The extended beneficial YSR Aarogyasri scheme will be organised on December 18. MLAs will participate in the follow-up programmes being held in villages in every constituency from the next day, he said.

The Government has enhanced the free medical treatment limit to Rs 25 lakh with humanity and officials should act with responsibility in extending the benefit to necessary people with a humanistic approach to implement the historic decision, he said.

Whoever undergoes medical treatment under Aarogyasri should be given Rs 300 towards charges when they go to doctors again for follow-up consultation. Similarly, patients identified in Jagananna Arogya Suraksha should also be given Rs 500 each to visit hospitals.

The specially developed video on availing free medical treatment under Aarogyasri should be made available to volunteers, secretariat staff and officials of health department besides making it accessible to all people, he suggested.

The Chief Minister also directed the officials to construct residential quarters for the specialist doctors working in the Government hospitals.

The department is printing new Aarogyasri cards and these would be distributed to all households across the State. Officials are planning to complete the distribution by January end.

This apart, a massive public awareness campaign would be launched on availing free medical treatment under Aarogyasri and ANMs, CHOs, ASHA workers, volunteers, enthusiasts, people’s representatives and women police will participate in the massive campaign.

They will also help people download the Disha App besides handholding the patients being treated under Aarogyasri and handing over medicines to them.

Directing the officials to launch the second phase of the Jagananna Arogya Suraksha from January 1, the Chief Minister told them to conduct one Suraksha camp in a village in each mandal in rural areas and one camp in a ward in urban areas every week.

He said that medical treatment being extended to kidney patients in the Uddhanam area should be extended to similar patients in other areas also by making available all necessary medicines in village health clinics which would be operated by family doctors.

The treatment facilities being made available in Palasa should also be made available in the medical college at Markapuram, he told the officials.

Doctors should support the kidney patients by conducting necessary tests and extending treatment, he said, adding that the Urology department should be established along with the Nephrology sections in all new medical colleges.

Special CS (Medical and Health) MT Krishna Babu, AP Vaidya Vidhana Parishad Commissioner Dr S Venkateswar, YSR Aarogyasri CEO DK Balaji and senior officials were among those present.