ANANTAPUR: Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav has reassured the public that Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is not contagious and urged people not to panic. Speaking to the mediapersons in Anantapur district on Saturday, he emphasised that government hospitals would have an adequate supply of immunoglobulin injections for GBS treatment.
The health department remains vigilant due to reported fatalities and is closely monitoring cases. Following the detection of five cases at Guntur Government General Hospital (GGH), he immediately reviewed the situation with senior health officials and dispatched Special Chief Secretary Krishna Babu to assess conditions firsthand.
The Central government has increased the healthcare budget by 12%, bringing the total to Rs 1 lakh crore. A key focus is on combating non-communicable diseases, particularly cancer, as cases continue to rise. To improve affordability, the government has reduced basic customs duty on 36 types of cancer medicines. The National Health Mission has been extended for five years with additional funding, and specific allocations have been made for cancer care.
To address the shortage of doctors, the Centre plans to add 75,000 medical seats in the next five years. Over the past decade, 55,000 MBBS and 45,000 postgraduate seats have been introduced. This year alone, 10,000 new medical seats will be added, benefiting Andhra Pradesh as well. With new medical colleges opening, the number of available seats is expected to rise further.