Distribution of free medicines to poor begins at NTR Hospital

Anakapalli (Visakhapatnam): Local MLA Peela Govinda Satyanarayana launched free distribution of medicines to poor patients basing on individual prescriptions irrespective of its cost on behalf of Peela Mahalakshmi Charitable Trust at the 250-bed NTR Hospital here on Wednesday to mark the death anniversary of TDP founder and former Chief Minister NTR.

This welfare measure might be first of its kind in the State undertaken by a MLA with his own funds and the trust was floated by the MLA in the name of his mother Peela Mahalakshmi to serve the poor.

Later, talking to reporters, the MLA paying tributes to former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao, who brought recognition for Telugu people, informed that he has lost his mother Mahalakshmi due to lack of proper medicare.

“Then I thought to float a charitable trust in the memory of my mother to distribute medicines free of cost to all the poor patients, including cancer patients.

I took the initiative that no other patient in my Assembly segment faces similar situation like my mother”, he explained.

Stating that arrangements have been made to distribute medicines to as many as 2,500 patients on the inaugural day, he said medicines would be distributed to patients in the limits of Anakapalli Assembly segment basing on prescription and personal Aadhaar card number.

When asked if some medicines are not available, the MLA replied that the that medicines would be handed over to the patients at their door steps after procuring them from other areas in three days.

A large number of patients gathered in queue lines for taking medicines.