Telangana: Aarogyasri to cover kidney, heart transplantation

Health minister Eatala Rajender said that the cabinet sub-committee has decided to include kidney and heart transplantation under Aarogyasri scheme.

The minister said that kidney and heart transplantation is being done for the poor at Gandhi and Osmania Hospitals but he will be soon extended to other hospitals affiliated with medical colleges. "The kidney, liver and heart transplantation which could cost around Rs 30-40 lakh could not be afforded by the poor, hence the government decided to include the three under Aarogyasri," Eatala said.

The cabinet sub-committee met at Dr Marri Chenna Reddy human resources development institute of Telangana to discuss on strengthening the medical and health department. Minister Eatala Rajender, KT Rama Rao, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Errabelli Dayakar Rao and others were present. The sub-committee approved the suggestions from the ministers and will submit a report to the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

The minister spoke to the media later and said that the infant mortality in the state has been reduced from 92 per cent to 63 per cent. He recalled that the Kerala and Tamil Nadu secured the first and second places respectively in providing best healthcare services to the people followed by the Telangana state. The government is strengthening all the primary health care services in the state by ensuring facilities like CT scan, MRI and X-ray, he said.