Aarogyasri In AP, A Revolutionary Healthcare Initiative

Access to high-quality healthcare is the dream of every individual across all segments of society. The initiatives announced by the Andhra Pradesh government headed by chief minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy under the popular healthcare scheme, Aarogyasri, constitute a milestone in this direction.

It may be recalled that Aarogyasri, a brainchild of late Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy, was a pioneering initiative which revolutionised healthcare for the poor and underprivileged, not only in the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh but across the country. For the first time, Dr YSR had brought corporate healthcare to the doorstep of the poorest of the poor in the state. His initiative was emulated by several other state governments across the country.

During his 14 months long walkathon, 'PrajaSankalpa Yatra', YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised to revolutionise Aarogyasriand repackage it adding more features and coverage, once the YSRCP came to power. He had assured the people of the state on multiple occasions on his Padayatra that more procedures would be added to the existing ones and that any procedure over Rs. 1000 would be covered by Aarogyasri.

True to his word, walking in the footsteps of his father, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister announced a host of pathbreaking changes in Aarogyasri. Some of these were kicked off earlier from November 2019, while others followed.

Here's a look at some of the important changes which would transform the lives of the poor and needy in AP, by providing them access to corporate healthcare:

• Procedures which would cost more than Rs. 1000 would now be covered underAarogyasri.QR code enabled cards will help build a better database of patients across the state and simplify healthcare access to the poor.

• A pilot project has been launched in West Godavari district to include 2059 diseases, which would mark a first.

• 1259 procedures will be covered underAarogyasri in the remaining 12 districts of the state.

• All eligible beneficiaries will get Dr YSR health cards and the scheme will include all such families whose annual income falls below Rs.5,00,00 from December 1, 2019.

• Dr. YSR Aarogyasri scheme has been extended to 150 super speciality hospitals in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai for all eligible beneficiaries from November 1, 2019, taking the healthcare coverage to major metropolises outside AP.

• Significantly, in another ground-breaking move, YS Jagan, as he had repeatedly promised on his Padayatra, announced monthly financial assistance of Rs.10,000 to patients of thalassaemia, sickle cell and haemophilia as given to patients undergoing kidney dialysis.

There are a host of other added features in the refashioned scheme extending Aarogyasri's reach. These include giving a post-operative sustenance allowance of Rs.225 per day or Rs.5000 per month during the period of recuperation and access to 510 varieties of medicines in government hospitals.

All sanitation workers employed in hospitals ranging from Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to teaching hospitals would get a pay hike in their monthly wages from Rs.8000 to 16,000, which is another landmark measure. Other significant steps include:

• All procedures related to cancer will be brought under Aarogyasri from February 1.

• 5000Health sub-centres will be modernised giving a facelift to all government hospitals under Nadu-Nedu scheme from February 1.

• 1060 ambulances for 104 and 108 services would be purchased towards the end of March 2020.

• Government hospitals will supply only medicines which meet WHO/GMP standards from April 2020.

• All existing vacancies of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff will be filled up starting May 2020.

All these measures will usher in a healthcare revolution in the state and set a high benchmark in the field for other states to emulate.