VIJAYAWADA: The State government will launch two state-of-the-art Maternal and Child Health (MCH) blocks at Guntur and Kakinada Government General Hospitals (GGHs) to enhance healthcare services and reduce maternal and newborn deaths.
Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav approved the purchase of medical and ancillary equipment worth Rs 51.33 crore to operationalise the new blocks. “A total of 5,687 pieces of equipment of 332 types will be procured,” he said.
The MCH block at Guntur GGH, constructed with financial support from the Guntur Medical College Alumni of North America (GMCANA) at a cost of Rs 86 crore, will add 500 beds. Similarly, a 500-bed MCH block at Kakinada GGH, built with the support of Rangaraya Medical College Alumni of North America (RMCANA) worth Rs 46 crore, will be ready soon. Of the newly approved medical equipment, Guntur GGH will receive 1,187 items across 37 categories costing Rs 23.51 crore, while Kakinada GGH will be equipped with 4,500 items across 295 categories at Rs 27.82 crore.
The procurement includes ICU beds, patient monitors, ventilators, defibrillators, ECG machines, mobile X-ray and ultrasound units, delivery sets, oximeters and others.