CM to launch family doctor project on March 15

Vijayawada:  Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the Medical and Health Department officials to include YSR Aarogyasri referral services in the Family Doctor concept which he would launch on March 15 in a full-fledged manner.

At a review meeting here on Monday, the Chief Minister virtually launched the phase-3 of the YSR Kanti Velugu for extending free treatment for eye diseases like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy to cover 35,41,151 aged people. Free medical treatment would be extended to these people by experts trained by the L V Prasad Eye Institute before the end of August.

Officials told him that so far, 45,90,086 persons were treated under the pilot project of Family Doctor and arrangements have been made to launch it in a full-fledged manner from March 15. They told him that doctors have been appointed at 1,149 PHCs with an additional 175 doctors being put on reserve. In all, 10,032 village health clinics would be manned by an ANM and a CHO each while there would be three to four AASHA workers in each clinic that would be equipped with 105 types of medicines and 14 types of diagnostic kits to conduct medical tests.

Across the State, 910 vehicles would extend 104 medical services to the people to treat various non-communicable and other diseases under the Family Doctor concept. To widen the 108 services, an additional 146 vehicles are being procured, the Chief Minister was informed. The officials also told him that works are in full swing in the newly established medical colleges.

The Chief Minister directed them to include the Aarogyasri services in the Family Doctor scheme in addition to printing the call centre phone number on the Aarogyasri cards. He directed them to link the anaemic cases with the Sampoorna Poshana Plus programme.

Under phase-3, already 24,65,300 people who have crossed the age of 60 were screened and free spectacles were handed over to 24,65,300 persons while free cataract surgeries were performed on 4,70,034 people. Now, 35,41,151 people, who were left out earlier, would be screened at village and ward secretariats in all 26 districts by 376 teams. For this, plans have already been worked out. While 66,17,613 persons were screened and 1,58,227 persons provided free eye glasses in the first two phases, free eye operations were performed for 310 persons.

Minister for Medical and Health V Rajini, CS Dr KS Jawahara Reddy, Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) MT Krishna Babu, Finance Secretary N Guljar, Health and Family Welfare Commissioner J Nivas, Aarogyasri CEO MN Harindra Prasad, APMSIDC VC and MD D Muralidhara Reddy, Director General (Drugs) Ravi Sankar and other officials were present.