Telangana moots pension for filaria patients

Hyderabad: Ahead of the budget 2018-19, the Telangana government has introduced another welfare scheme.  Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday announced Rs 1000 pension per month to the patients suffering from lymphatic filariasis (Filaria). The new scheme will benefit nearly 47,000 identified people suffering from filariasis.

The pension will be given to the patients from the new financial year which begins on April 1. Required funds will be allocated in the budget proposals. The issue of people suffering from filarial disease has been brought to the notice of the CM by Roads and Buildings Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Nizamabad MP K Kavitha.  

In the review meeting with the officials, KCR also discussed preventive steps to be taken against filariasis. He also instructed the officials to fix medicines and treatment. He instructed the officials to assess the total number of filarial patients in the state and conduct a comprehensive survey at village level. 

The CM also decided to offer medical diagnostic tests to the people in the state at the government’s cost with village as a unit.  KCR instructed the officials concerned to prepare an action plan to utilise the services of medical employees and staff at the village level at the optimal level.

Stating that Telangana should become a role model for public health sector in the country, the Chief Minister also decided to enhance the salaries of the ASHA workers and second ANMs.

“We have increased salaries of ASHA workers and we are ready to increase them again. Workers will be recognised as Village Health Assistants. We will also increase salaries of the second ANMs. We will utilise their services more fruitful way. 

We will increase facilities in the PHCs (Primary Health Centres),” he added.   In view of overwhelming response to the KCR Kits scheme, the CM ruled out the supply of the kits in private hospitals.  The government is committed to strengthening the public health institutions by increasing the staff, he pointed out.  Health Secretary Shanta Kumari and other officials were present.