VIJAYAWADA: Another milestone was crossed in YSR Aarogyasri on Thursday, when Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the enhanced services of the scheme in another six districts. With this, Aarogyasri will cover 2,200 medical procedures instead of the existing 1,259 medical procedures in Kadapa, Kurnool, Prakasam, Guntur, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said another step was taken to provide better medical and health services to the poor and ensure that they never get into a debt trap over medical expenses.He pointed out that when the new government took over, only 1,059 medical procedures were covered under the scheme and it was not implemented effectively, which was evident from the fact that Rs 680 crore dues to Arogyasri network hospitals were kept pending by the previous government.
“We decided to change it all and initially enhanced the number of medical procedures from 1,059 to 1,259. To ensure that the poor people avail medical treatment in a dignified manner and hospital authority or anyone else do not belittle them, my government cleared all the pending dues to the tune of Rs 680 crore of network hospitals. At the same time, to ensure that there is no delay in clearing bills, all payment of Aarogyasri are being made through green channel,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the enhanced scheme will be extended to all the districts in the due course. In January this year, the medical procedures were enhanced from 1,259 to 2,049 and later to 2,200 and it was implemented in West Godavari district on a pilot basis and today the same is being extended to six more districts. The new services include cancer and dicoclera implant and other such procedures, he added. “Like nowhere else in the country, we brought Covid treatment under ambit of the Aarogyasri on April 6. Last week, even Aarogyasri treatment was allowed in private hospitals and treatment cost is being reimbursed by the government. To enhance effective medical emergency treatment, as many as 1,088 emergency vehicles (108 and 104 services), of which some even have ventilator support systems, were flagged off,” he said.
Elaborating on the YSR Aarogya Aasara (post operative care assistance), Arogyasri cards and revamping of hospital infrastructure under Nadu- Nedu scheme, the Chief Minister said in addition to the 11 existing teaching hospitals, another 16 will be added in coming days, and for that, Rs 16,000 crore has been earmarked.
To ensure quality medicalcare is provided in the network hospitals, the grading system has been introduced and only those which pass the tests will continue as network hospitals. The Chief Minister said by April 2021, 13,000 village clinics will be ready.