The Cabinet sub-committee constituted for suggesting steps to improve health and medical infrastructure has recommended inclusion of heart, kidney and liver transplantations under Aarogyasri programme.
The cabinet sub-committee which met under the chairmanship of Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Thursday resolved to submit a detailed report incorporating inclusion of transplantations under the Aarogyasri programme. The report will be submitted to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao soon.
The Cabinet sub-committee discussed health infrastructure related issues in detail during the meeting. Briefing reporters later, Mr. Rajender said the transplantation operations were presently being conducted at NIMS, Osmania and Gandhi hospitals. The cabinet sub-committee wanted these procedures to be extended to all teaching hospitals.
Patients particularly those from lower and middle classes were forced to spend ₹30 to ₹40 lakh on these transplantations and this was proving to be a huge burden on their finances. Inclusion of these procedures under Aarogyasri would ensure that the poor could opt for these surgeries without the feat of incurring huge expenditure. The government was prepared to amend the legislation governing the issue if need be.
Members of the sub-committee - Ministers K. Taraka Rama Rao, E. Dayakar Rao and Talasani Srinivas Yadav - senior health department officials participated in the meeting which also made several other recommendations.
The Minister said the health sector saw several changes since the formation of separate Telangana and these resulted in significant reduction in infant and maternal mortality rates. The maternal mortality rate dropped from 92 to 63 and infant mortality rate from 39 to 26.
The State was ranked third next only to Kerala and Tamil Nadu in terms of providing effective medical services to people. The Cabinet panel discussed measures to strengthen the services further. Accordingly, steps would be taken to strengthen primary healthcare centres while all hospitals would be equipped with CT Scan, MRI, X-ray and other facilities. Steps were also under way to strengthen the infrastructure at MNJ Cancer hospital. Mr. Rajender said the basti dawakhanas were functioning satisfactorily and steps had been initiated to enhance their number to 300 in the coming days. There were 198 basti dawakhanas functioning to full potential while another 26 would be opened before this month-end. People were satisfied with the functioning of these units and it was therefore decided to enhance their number to cater to the needs.
