New systems will be put in place to improve sanitation and hygiene in the government hospitals. Colour codes will be assigned to ensure that the bedspreads are changed every day. Bed sheets of same colour will have to be used in all government hospitals according to the day, said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Inaugurating new sections in the M J Naidu Multi-Specialty Hospital here on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said health and happiness were essential for the progress of a society. While private hospitals were able to maintain hygiene and sanitation, there should be no reason why the same could not be done in government hospitals.
Top priority was also being given to the functioning of equipment in the government hospitals.
The government had entered into an agreement with a private company for repairing defunct equipment. Service standards and time for repairing equipment had been fixed. If the company failed to stick to the standards fixed, action would be taken against the company, officials and doctors, the Chief Minister warned. The public cheered and clapped when the Chief Minister explained that a patient could choose even a private doctor for treatment under the NTR Vydya Seva Scheme.
The government was giving top priority to provide medical care to the poor. The number of ailments covered under the NTR Vaidya Seva Scheme had been increased to 1,050 from 950. The insurance amount had also been increased to Rs. 2.5 lakh, he said.
He said there were already a lot of hospitals in Vijayawada, but there was still need for more.
Doctors from Andhra Pradesh were very efficient and were doing very well abroad and also in other States. Several of them had come back from abroad to establish good hospitals he said and hoped these doctors and hospitals would also start branches in Amaravati.
The Chief Minister gave away artificial limbs to five physically challenged people on the occasion. Ministers Devineni Umamaheswara Rao and Prathipati Pulla Rao, Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas, Central MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, Mayor Koneru Sridhar and veteran journalist Turlapati Kuthumba Rao were on the dais.