Nellore hospital in Atmakur boon to upland areas

Nellore: People living in upland areas of the district can get advanced medical treatment at free of cost with the shifting of district headquarters hospital from Nellore to Atmakur. It may be recalled that the government general hospital was earlier located in Nellore city and it has been attached to the Government Medical College converting as teaching hospital for the benefit of patients and medical students.

Recently, the state government had issued a GO 229 upgrading the government area hospital in Atmakur as district headquarters hospital with 150 beds by allocating Rs 19 crore for the construction of new buildings and purchase of medical equipment. As part of upgrading the existing area hospital, officials proposed first of its kind air-conditioned facility in the maternity ward.

In fact, the move was welcomed by the people from upland areas in the district and border villages of Prakasam and Kadapa districts. “Now, the in-patient capacity would be increased in proportionate to the beds. We are planning to set up a blood bank in the hospital premises for immediate needs.

Proposals were forwarded for setting up air-conditioned facility in the maternity ward,” said Dr L Chennaiah, Superintendent, Atmakur area hospital. Patients from Pamur in Prakasam district; Porumamilla, Badvel and Mydukur mandals in Kadapa district can visit the hospital for medical treatment. About 350-500 outpatients are visiting the hospital on an average every day.

The hospital has facilities to accommodate 60 in-patients. But, no sufficient equipment to utilise three operation theatres. Hence, hospital authorities had submitted a memorandum to the then Health Minister Dr Kamineni Srinivas to upgrade it as district headquarters Hospital last year. Former Minister and Atmakur TDP in-charge Anam Ramanarayana Reddy also earlier appealed to Kamineni to shift the district headquarters hospital to Atmakur for providing better medical services to the people of upland areas.

Earlier, people from Udayagiri, Seetharamapuram, Varikuntapadu, Duttaluru, Marripadu and Atmakur have to travel 60 to 70 kilometres to Nellore for availing medical services in district headquarters hospital. “State government had issued a GO for recruitment of additional staff members and medical officers in district hospital in Atmakur,” said a senior official. As the hospital has been upgraded as 150-bedded hospital, authorities are now preparing proposals to set up a Trauma Care Centre for attending the accident cases on the National Highway 67.