Aarogyasri effect sees huge spike in patients

Hyderabad: Major State hospitals including Osmania, Fever and Gandhi along with NIMS, Panjagutta have been witnessing a big rush of patients for the last two days. With private hospitals not accepting Aarogyasri cards for treatments to various ailments, patients are thronging to government hospitals.

Heavy rush of patients is being seen from early morning itself in these hospitals.

NIMS, Panjagutta has also seen a jump of 25 per cent in Aarogyasri registrations every day since the private hospitals started their stir demanding the release of dues that are pending for over a year.

Another reason for the huge rush of patients is because of an increase in viral fever cases across the State including Hyderabad. Huge queues are seen at the OPD (Out Patient Department) counters at Gandhi and also at Fever hospital in Nallakunta.

Some of the patients at Gandhi hospital expressed their displeasure for being made to wait for nearly 30 minutes just to get on OP registration. Over 2,200 patients registered for OP consultation in Gandhi alone.

Meanwhile, Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr Ramesh Reddy took stock of the situation in State hospitals in the wake of private hospitals not accepting Aarogyasri beneficiaries for treatment. He said all teaching hospitals have a bed capacity of over 9,000 and there would be no problem admitting Aarogyasri beneficiaries in need of treatment.

Also, help teams have been deputed at Aarogyasri counters to guide people coming for treatments. Hospital superintendents have been told to increase counters so that patients are not put to any inconvenience, Dr Ramesh Reddy said. He added that instructions were also given to increase OP counters beyond 12 pm in view of heavy rush of patients.