The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Over 50 per cent beds for Arogyasri at Mahaveer Hospital

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Monday, Oct 20, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Over 50 per cent beds for Arogyasri at Mahaveer Hospital

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: Over half of the beds at Mahaveer Hospital, Masab Tank will now be reserved exclusively for the beneficiaries of Arogyasri scheme.

The beds set up in new Arogyasri wards were inaugurated by Chief Minister Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Sunday. The hospital, which has a past record of working closely with health authorities in extending free tuberculosis treatment to scores of patients, will now be using 50 per cent of its capacity for patients covered under the universal health scheme. Lauding its efforts, Dr. Reddy assured Government’s support to the hospital’s future endeavours.

“There are nearly 30,000 beds in private hospitals out of which about 8,000 beds are occupied by beneficiaries of the insurance scheme. That’s a huge figure because till recently affording such a costly medicare was a dream for the poor,” pointed out Dr. Reddy. Arogyasri scheme has become the best example of a successful public-private partnership in the country. “Even at KIMS hospital, which has bed strength of 250, almost 100 beds are now being used by Arogyasri patients,” the Chief Minister said. Highlighting the history of the hospital, which was set up in 1978, Chairman of Bhagwan Mahaveer Memorial Trust Shantilal Daga, which runs the hospital, requested Chief Minister to hasten the process of renewing the lease license of the land on which the hospital is located.

“Given the track record of the hospital, we request authorities either to permanently give the land to the trust or quickly renew the lease license of the land for another 30 years,” Mr. Daga requested.

Later on, Chief Minister assured Government’s support to renew the lease license of the hospital.

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