Two years ago, Venkayamma, a middle-aged woman from Tangutur, was hesitant to undergo a family planning operation using the “'double-puncture laparoscopy” technique.
But today, she is glad the surgeon convinced her to undergo it as she was able to return quickly to her work on the tobacco fields — the agricultural mainstay in Prakasam district.
That surgeon, M. Venkaiah, has now taken the plunge into politics as the YSR Congress Party candidate from the Kondepi Assembly constituency. Venkayamma was among a group of women he approached first on his campaign.
The Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences here faces another doctor, TDP MLA Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy Dola, from the Scheduled Caste reserved constituency with an electorate of 2.1 lakh voters.
“I grew in poverty. I very well know your problems. I will work for solutions as soon as Jagananna [YSRCP chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy] becomes the Chief Minister,” the 56-year-old Dr. Venkaiah assures the villagers.
The doctor has created a record of sorts by performing over 98,000 laparoscopic surgeries on women, most of them below the poverty line and become the first male doctor to receive the Stree Sakthi award instituted in the name of Rani Rudramma from then President Pranab Mukherjee.
As his convoy moved to Muppala village near Ponnaluru undeterred by the soaring mercury, the villagers raised the issue of acute drinking water shortage coupled with fluoride-induced chronic kidney disease. Dr. Venkaiah promised to ensure the that Sangameswara project across the Paleru will be completed on a war footing to find a permanent solution to the problem.
Inspired by poet
Moving on to Singarabotlapalem village near Singarayakonda, Dr Venkaiah says he has been inspired by the revolutionary Telugu poet Sri Sri (Srirangam Srinivasa Rao) to offer heavily subsidised medical treatment for the poor at his Praja Vaidyasala, a name also inspired by the poet, he told The Hindu .
The Veligonda project, a lifeline for western Prakasam, will also be completed to ensure water to these parched parts of the district, he assured a group of farmers before moving to Marripudi village, also gripped by excessive fluoride in ground water. The Rajiv Arogyasree scheme, which has been diluted over a period will be strengthened so that they can get free treatment for all surgical procedures, he says.
Schemes of hope
Dr. Swamy who worked as medical officer in the Kondepi PHC till 2009 before becoming a full-time politician, underscores the “historic need” to return the party to power.
In a whistle-stop campaign across villages in Singarayakonda mandal he reiterates the need to continue development and welfare initiatives with more vigour after successfully overcoming the teething troubles faced by the fledgling state.
The good work done by the Chandrababu Naidu government including schemes like “Pasupu Kumkuma” and the hike in social security pensions for different categories of people will ensure a second term, says the 49-year-old doctor, who had unsuccessfully contested in 2009 and 2004 against Congress nominees Pothula Rama Rao and G.V. Seshu respectively.
