Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas has said the priority of the government will be to ensure health care to the poor.
InteractionIn an interaction with the media at the BJP office here, Mr. Srinivas said in reply to a question, that a view on collecting user charges that would allow authorities to take up small repairs at hospitals would be taken later.
Earlier, addressing the party cadre, he said the Cabinet would consider options on whether to make the much-delayed Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) functional in phases by allotting Rs.40 crore to Rs.50 crore now or whether to convert into AIMS with the money spent being reimbursed by the Union government.
The Minister said he visited the 191-year-old KGH and Victoria Hospital on Wednesday evening and both were ‘sick’ and needed to be improved. He said the priority of BJP Ministers would be to serve people without giving scope for any corruption. Stating that BJP getting the endowments portfolio would help in safeguarding the Hindu dharma, he said BJP workers would be accommodated in the temple trust boards.
With the party in power for the first time in Andhra Pradesh, though in coalition with TDP, Mr. Srinivas was the first minister to set foot in the party office, party city president P.V. Narayana Rao said. Though Endowments Minister P. Manikyala Rao was also scheduled to visit the party office, he had to accompany the Chief Minister to the Simhachalam temple.
Senior party leader P.V. Chalapathi Rao recalled Dr. Srinivas’ association with the Janata Party in 1977.
Bandaru Ranga Mohana Rao said VIMS, Railway Zone that remained on paper for a long would be a reality now. Party leaders Ch. Ramakotaiah, J. Pridhviraj and Ch. Mahalakshmi were among those present.
