Telangana has a proposal to launch State Health Profile during the financial year 2020-21 and the modalities are being worked out, said Health Minister Eatala Rajender.
Responding to a query in the Legislative Council here on Wednesday, Mr. Rajender said that there was a proposal to start in Chintamadaka, Gajwel and expand it to the entire State. The department was collecting information from other countries and implement it in the best possible manner. He said the government had already screened 1.54 crore people for vision defects under ‘Kanti Velugu’ programme and 40 lakh were given eyeglasses. Emphasising the importance of State Health Profile at a time when 60 per cent of deaths were due to non-communicable diseases triggered by hypertension, diabetes like cardiovascular and kidney diseases, the Health Minister said the State was focused on taking up promotional, preventive and curative health activities in rural areas. He also said that government hospitals would be strengthened to cater to poor people along with increasing Basti Dawakhanas. Health screening programmes would reduce medical expenditure for the government and people.
Members B. Venkateswarulu, Gangadhara Goud, Pochampally Srinivas Reddy, Balasani Laxminarayana and Narisi Reddy said the State Health Profile programme should be taken up at the earliest for a healthy Telangana. Responding to another query, Mr. Rajender said more dialysis centres and machines would be provided so that people need not wait for hours for dialysis. The government was spending ₹1.8 lakh on dialysis every year and 10,000 patients were availing the facility. More nephrologists would also be appointed, he said.
