SC/ST discrimination at SVIMS alleged

Chittoor MP shocks CM and Union MinisterA Tirupati: Chittoor MP Dr N Siva Prasad expressed anguish over several issues and criticised the State government in the presence of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. At a public meeting held in Chandragiri on Saturday, he alleged that Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) was neglecting the poor and the downtrodden sections, particularly the SCs/STs. Nobody expected such criticisms against the State government where Chief Minister and Union Minister Jairam Ramesh and few other ministers from Centre and State were present on the dais. Dr Siva Prasad urged the CM to appoint a new director, who would be congenial to the poor and downtrodden at SVIMS. He also expressed his wish that a suitable SC/ST candidate may be appointed as the Director to fulfill the aspiration of poor and downtrodden sections. It may be noted that the tenure of the present director Dr B Vengamma will end in a couple of months. The MP also lamented that the district headquarters hospital at Chittoor is bogged down by a plethora of problems, with poor medical and surgical facilities. It has no emergency and trauma care or a cardiology unit and an MRI facility. He requested the CM to grant Rs 10 crores for the hospital, and the CM during his address announced the grant. The MP sought the CM to take steps for giving more teeth to the existing Rural Health Centre at Chandragiri.