Telangana on path to Arogya Telangana

​Hyderabad: With pathbreaking schemes, innovative measures and decent budget allocations during the past four years, the 29th state in the country is on the path to ‘Arogya Telangana’ (Healthy Telangana) as envisaged by its Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Under the stewardship of Health Minister Laxma Reddy, who himself is a doctor, the Medical and Health department is on a mission to instill confidence and belief among its citizens to visit the state hospitals and primary health centres.

As KCR reiterated on many occasions in the past, the government health sector was deliberately neglected for the last few decades giving scope to private and corporate hospitals to mint money. The main drawbacks for the state hospitals across the state was lack of infrastructure and facilities, latest equipment and machinery, hygienic and clean surroundings to name a few. The corporate and private hospitals outscored the state hospitals on this front in the state capital and tier-2 cities and hence the footfall was observed to be high.

To set right anomalies, the Telangana government focused on infrastructure and ambience at all major hospitals across the state. Modernization and facilities improvement like new beds, furniture and stands were done right from sub-centres to teaching hospitals.

Also, the number of beds in hospitals in the state was increased by 3000 in the last four years. Coloured bedsheets (pink and white) are being changed every day on hospitals to stop spread of any infection and ensure hygiene.

With various steps undertaken in the last four years, patients’ inflow in government hospitals increased by 23 per cent.

The out-patients number increased significantly from 3.35 crore in 2014 to 4.51 crore in 2016. The in-patients number rose from 13.73 lakh in 2014 to 20.24 lakh in 2016 and the figure is increasing every year.
Complex surgeries like kidney, liver, heart and bone-marrow transplants that were a rarity in the past in the government hospitals are being performed at greater frequency. ICU (Intensive Care Unit) for general patients, mother and newborn have been increased or newly created in various hospitals.

IMR (Infant Mortality Rate) and MMR (Mother Mortality Rate) have come down considerably in the last four years. Also, the number of institutional deliveries in government hospitals has increased from 30 per cent to 50 per cent and a lot of credit for this goes to one of its kind initiative -KCR Kits- under which financial incentives and gift hampers for mother and new-born are being given by the government.

KCR Kit worth Rs 2000 consists of 16 items useful to the mother and the newborn babies (neonates). It will be sufficient for three months and the package includes clothes, quality baby soaps, baby oil, baby powder, mosquito nets, toys, napkins, and diapers. A mother would receive Rs 15,000 for new-born girl and Rs 14,000 in case of delivering a baby boy.

With awareness, preventive measures, early screening, diagnosis followed by early treatment, malaria, dengue and swine flu related deaths also come down considerably. Dialysis and blood bank facilities that were limited to major hospitals are being extended to in hospitals in districts.

The good reforms and initiatives taken up in government hospitals in Telangana was acknowledged by the Union government, which even awarded the best performing state in the country to Telangana (Mission Indradanush) for improving immunization from 62 to 90 per cent.

Meanwhile, first citizen of the state, Governor ESL Narasimhan paid surprise visits to Gandhi hospital on two occasions to get treatment for his right toe (August 2017) and to undergo basic tests related to ear in hospital’s ENT department (in January 2018).

He lauded the hospital authorities for improved facilities and hygiene conditions and wanted them to maintain continuously. The Health Minister repeated on many occasions that it was Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s vision to ensure people of the state live happily and in good health for which he was leaving no stone unturned. The upcoming initiatives like eye screenings, diagnostic tests for every citizen in the state are a part of that.