Private medical colleges demand under TS govt consideration

Hyderabad: The Health department is positively looking into the request of private medical colleges to extend KCR Kits scheme to their teaching hospitals as PG gyaenic students are missing out on the experience of conducting deliveries and handling complicated cases.

After the introduction of KCR Kits, pregnant women are queuing up before State hospitals for obvious reasons resulting in a big reduction in the number of deliveries in private teaching hospitals.

Health Minister Eatala Rajender discussed this subject with Kaloji Health University Vice-Chancellor Dr Karunakar Reddy a few days ago. According to officials, this request, if agreed, would lead to a win-win situation for both private colleges and also the government.

If KCR Kits scheme is implemented in private and medical colleges, pregnant women from nearby mandals and villages would consider going to respective teaching hospitals thus benefitting the medical students.

For the last two years, only pregnant women, who are not eligible for the government scheme are going for ante-natal care and deliveries in private teaching hospitals.

However, this is a small number as most of the families in districts and in city outskirts were seen visiting district and area Hospitals as well as the Health Centres in urban and rural areas apart from the major tertiary hospitals as the pregnant women are being extended free consultation and medicines, transportation during ante-natal care (until the 9th month) and after delivery they are given the KCR Kit package comprising various items required for the mother and the newborn along with cash incentive for giving birth to a female or male child.

Implementation of the scheme in private medical colleges would also benefit the Health department. The load and burden on the State hospitals and the doctors would be reduced if pregnant women also start visiting the private hospitals.

Also, the department feels the beds in private colleges could be utilised in a better way as the strength of beds in State hospitals, especially in districts, at present is proving to be insufficient at times.

According to officials, the health minister is positive on this demand of the private colleges. It is learnt the cabinet sub-committee on health would submit this to the Chief Minister would is expected to take a final decision.