Telangana Budget 2016-17, presented on Monday, said stabilisation, standardisation and consolidation of medical and health services will be the main focus areas.
Finance Minister Etela Rajender, in his speech, said this while lamenting that the public health care system has “suffered neglect in the combined State and presently in a pathetic state. At present, even poor patients hesitate taking treatment in Government hospitals.”
Declaring that the Government wants to change this, so that the poor on their own prefer government to private hospitals, he said that following a review various measures have been proposed to improve the health system on a par with private healthcare. These include provision of best diagnostic facilities in teaching and district hospitals and improving the availability of medicines as well as surgical facilities in all hospitals.
“Provision of beds, bed sheets and improvement in sanitation will also be ensured,” he added.
A total of 40 dialysis and an equal number of diagnostic centres are to be set up besides filling up the vacant posts, including those of doctors and provide suitable incentives for doctors working in rural areas.
Four multi-specialty hospitals are proposed to be established in Hyderabad with the assistance of Rabo Banks of the Netherlands on annuity basis. The MGM Hospital in Warangal is to be upgraded into a super-specialty hospital. Construction of modern hospitals in Khammam and Karimnagar is on the cards.
A team from Telangana recently visited Tamil Nadu to study the health system with a view to consider replicating some of the best practices there in the State.
Proposing an outlay of Rs.5,967 crore for the health sector, which is “significantly higher” compared to the Rs.4,932 crore made in 2015-16, Mr.Rajender said all the measures are to be implemented in a time bound manner.
The Budget has proposed Rs.600 crore for the replacement / purchase of equipment, Rs.316 crore for diagnostic equipment, replacement of old beds and carrying out repairs to civil works.
From Rs.117 crore in the current fiscal, the provision for purchase of drugs, surgical and disposals has been increased to Rs.225 crore. An amount of Rs.56 crore is to be provided to the three Heads of Departments in the Medical and Health Department to meet emergent needs, he said.
