Telangana government asked to replicate AP model on Covid-19 under Arogyasri Health Scheme

Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy asked the Telangana State government to include the Covid treatment under the Arogyasri Health Scheme (AHS) on the lines of the neighboring State of Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing media after visiting the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bibinagar, here on Monday, he said his office is flooded with requests for allotment of beds, oxygen facility and reduction of bills handed over to them for undergoing treatment for Covid.

"The Ayushman Bharat Scheme of the Centre is being implemented across several States in the country to provide the much needed relief for the poor to avail Covid treatment in the private hospitals.

But, Telangana is not extending similar relief to the people here. It has not included the Covid treatment under AHS, making people to face troubles during the current hard times posed by the second wave of the corona."

Similarly, he also reminded that the Centre has notified journalists as the frontline warriors of Covid, and asked the State government to do the needful to address their woes creating separate facilities for them.

Earlier, the Union Minister visited the Covid-19 dedicated ward at AIIMS, Bibinagar, and he also reviewed medical facilities, including the Central government's sanctioned oxygen concentrator that produces 1,000 litres of oxygen per minute.

The minister discussed the immediate steps to augment beds and oxygen supplies at a review meeting with the hospital administration.

The Central Minister also inspected the oxygen cylinders and other medical supplies received from different countries and allocated by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, to Telangana state, during his visit to AIIMS, Bibinagar.

He interacted with people at the Covid-19 Vaccination Centre at the hospital and reviewed the vaccination drive. The Central Minister distributed fruits to health workers and people who came for inoculation on the occasion.

Kishan Reddy said that the State government has not handed over the buildings of the AIIMS, Bibinagar to the Centre so far. However, steps have been taken to ensure the creation of facilities at the hospital.