VIJAYAWADA: Union MoS Health Bharati Pravin Pawar stressed the need for printing photos of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister on the cards for the health schemes jointly implemented by the State and Centre. "People should know what the Centre is doing for the State. Its contribution needs to be acknowledged," she said.
Speaking to mediapersons here on Sunday, she said that in a federal structure, any programme or scheme will be implemented jointly by Centre and State government, hence, both the sides need to be acknowledged. "People need to have clarity on who is doing what," she emphasised.
Listing the health schemes introduced by the Centre, she said various schemes initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure quality healthcare at an affordable price and better medical infrastructure in the country are yielding results.
"Decrease in infant mortality rate and increase in the institutional deliveries are examples to show how health schemes are yielding good results," she said.
The minister said under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat), 50 lakh families in Andhra Pradesh have benefited and since 2019, Rs 1,042 crore has been released to the State. Under the PMSSY, All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was established at Mangalagiri, the first one in South India.
"The Modi government has established 209 colleges in the last seven years and 37 percent were in the private sector," she said and added that for Andhra Pradesh, the Centre has given three medical colleges till date.
She said Andhra Pradesh has been provided Rs 490 crore under the 15th finance commission for health sector, Rs 503 crore under Emergency COVID Relief Programme (ECRP -1) and Rs 696 crore under ECRP-II.
Further, the State was given Rs 54 crore under the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), Rs 20 crore each under Janani Suraksha Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Rs 50 crore under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP).
Bharati Pawar appreciated the State government for the good work done with regard to COVID vaccination. The State has completed 99 percent of vaccination (double doses).
Later in the day, she called on Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan and briefed him on the implementation of the Union government’s flagship health programme 'Ayushman Bharat' for the benefit of the poor and weaker sections.
She briefed the Governor about her visit to a few YSR Village Health Clinics and PHCs in the State and the status of implementation of Ayushman Bharat scheme at grassroot level and about her visit to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Mangalagiri.
She was accompanied by her husband Pravin Arjun Pawar.