Notification for 5k more medical posts issued: Health Principal Secretary
VIJAYAWADA: Principal Secretary (Health) MT Krishna Babu has said notification for 5,000 posts in the health and medical sector has been issued in addition to the 45,000 posts filled in the last three years.
Speaking to media persons on Wednesday, Krishna Babu said to ensure a minimum of two PHCs per Mandal, an additional 176 PHCs have been sanctioned and they will be operationalised by September 2023. In addition to the 11 government medical colleges, 16 new ones will be set up.
"Of the total 16 medical colleges, five new ones in Eluru, Machilipatnam, Rajamahendravaram, Vizianagaram and Nandyal will be ready by 2023 and the rest will be completed by 2024. The department has laid emphasis on running PHCs, CHCs and other health centres as per the India Public Health Standards and medical colleges and teaching hospitals as per the National Medical Commission (NMC) norms," he said.
"The government is committed to providing quality health care at the village level and as part of it, the family physician concept will be launched in September on a pilot basis. Under the concept, a medical officer and a team will visit the village health centres twice a month to provide quality health care to people and also coordinate referral treatment and Aarogyasri services," he explained.
Another step in improving primary health care is the introduction of a YSR Village Health Clinic for every 2,000 population. In addition to 6,313 sub-centres, the State government has sanctioned 3,719 additional village health clinics totalling 10,032 YSR Village Health Clinics and each of these clinics will cater to the medical needs of the 2,000-3,000 population.
Henceforth, round-the-clock services at the village level through village clinics, which will have one ANM, one Mid-Level Health Care Provider and offer services, including OPD, disease control programme, NCD screening, FP services, immunisation, diagnostics (14 tests) and dispense 67 types of medicines and also organise yoga and wellness activities, he elaborated.
The government has sanctioned Rs 1,692 crores for the construction of the village clinics and they will be ready by December 2022. They will also provide specialist services through telemedicine.
“As many as 42,752 ASHA have been identified to provide health care facilities at the doorstep of people,” he said.
Explaining the efforts made to strengthen PHCs in rural and urban areas and also streamlining secondary health care services being provided at 177 community health care centres, 51 sub-district hospitals and 17 district hospitals, he said the government issued an order for restructuring the CHCs, AHs and district hospitals based on the bed strength.
The new medical colleges have been proposed to strengthen tertiary care services. To further improve medical and health services to tribal communities, tribal multi-speciality hospitals are being set up at Seethampeta, Parvathipuram, Rampachodavaram, Buttaigudem and Dornala with an estimated cost of Rs 246 crore.
A super speciality hospital, a cancer hospital and an institute of mental care are being established at Kadapa. A super speciality hospital with a kidney research centre is being set up at Palasa in the Srikakulam district. Cancer care hospitals will come up in Visakhapatnam, Guntur and Kurnool, he explained.
On Aarogyasri, he said it is being implemented in 2,400 hospitals in the State and 238 hospitals in other states. Bills under the scheme have been cleared up to July. In 2021-22, 83,400 people had availed of medical treatment under the Aarogysri scheme, for which Rs 85 crore was spent.
In the first four months of the current fiscal, a total of Rs 40 crore was spent on the scheme. It is being implemented by 25 per cent of government hospitals and efforts are on to double the number, he added.