Quality healthcare for all Cong govt’s key thrust, says Damodar

Hyderabad: Health Minister C Damodar Raja Narsimha on Monday said that the Congress party’s primary agenda was to provide basic amenities in education and health and create confidence among the people in providing quality healthcare services for free.

The Minister made these comments while participating in the ‘Aarogya Utsavalu’ as part of the ‘Praja Palana Vijayotsavalu’ at HDMA Grounds at NTR Marg on Monday.

The Health Minister recalled that, be it Rajiv Aarogyasri or fee reimbursement, the credit for bringing these schemes goes to the Congress party.

Stating that the Aarogyasri was also one of the six guarantees, the Minister said that within two days of coming into power, the government implemented that guarantee and increased the free medical limit from Rs five lakh to Rs 10 lakh. It was the Congress government that increased the package rates in 2013, and 11 years later, it was the Congress government that increased the package rates in 2024. An additional Rs 487.29 crore was allocated for Aarogyasri. To provide better medical treatment to the people, all types of staff including doctors and nurses are needed.

Within a short time of the formation of the People’s Government, 7,774 posts in the health department were filled and notifications were issued for another 6,470 posts. The process of filling these posts was currently ongoing. Within eight months of the formation of the public government, eight government medical colleges were made available. A total of 400 MBBS seats were made available to State students, with 50 seats in each college.

The Minister also informed that the government started 28 new paramedical colleges, and with these, the number of government paramedical colleges has increased from 12 to 40. Osmania Hospital is the flagship of Telangana. The Congress government is committed to bringing back the past glory to Osmania. The government has decided to construct a new Osmania Hospital in an area of about 32 acres in Goshamahal.

Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that the government was releasing funds to the Health Department immediately as it was related to the health of the people. The government is releasing funds every month. “The middle class and the poor in the rural areas cannot afford costly treatment. Now they do not need to worry as the government was spending Rs 10 lakh under Aarogyasri,” he added. He alleged that the previous government failed to focus on the hospitals, recruitment of doctors, and others.