VIJAYAWADA: Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said the Andhra Pradesh Specialty Hospital Association, part of the NTR Vaidya Seva Trust network, will continue their services without interruption as the government has already released Rs 160 crore earlier, Rs 200 crore on Thursday, and will release another Rs 300 crore within a week.
He mentioned that a total of Rs 2,500 crore, including Rs 400 crore pending bills under processing, will be cleared on a monthly basis after holding discussions with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. He also informed that discussions are underway regarding the construction of five new medical colleges, either through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) or by seeking viability gap funding schemes from the Central government.
Speaking to mediapersons at the Secretariat on Friday, the Minister outlined a comprehensive strategy developed by the Ministry of Health, Family Welfare, and Medical Education aimed at improving the maintenance, functioning, and delivery of healthcare services in all government hospitals, including both established institutions and new ones under development.
He said the State government is committed to transform the healthcare facilities in all the Government General Hospitals (GGHs) to meet the expectations of our patients.
The strategy, designed with actions to be implemented in the short, medium, and long term, is a response to feedback from patients, media reports, and the Minister’s visits to various hospitals over the past two months. Satya Kumar said he convened a day-long meeting on August 13 with the principals and superintendents of 15 government colleges and hospitals. The meeting, lasting over seven hours, allowed for an in-depth discussion of various issues and problems, resulting in a firm plan of action.
He outlined the measures to maintain a clean and hygienic environment through improved sanitation, proper maintenance of hospital premises, effective bio-medical waste management and installation of signage boards. An audit will be conducted to assess the demand and availability of essential resources like stretchers, wheelchairs, and vehicles for last rites. Staffing shortages, particularly in critical areas such as Male and Female Nursing Orderlies (MNOS and FNOs) and technicians, will also be addressed. Moreover, front desk services will be strengthened, and outpatient (OP) registration will be streamlined to ensure patients are registered within 30 minutes of arrival.
Diagnostic services will be improved, blood and other samples will be collected near Outpatients (OP) consultation rooms and receive reports conveniently. The performance of OP services by each doctor will be monitored, and evening OP services from 2:00 to 4:00 pm will be introduced to provide timely medical guidance by the same doctor, he said.
The functioning of diagnostic equipment and the availability of reagents will be audited to minimise the need for patients to seek services outside the hospital. Feedback mechanisms will be set up, including the use of complaint boxes and involvement of NSS/NCC students to gather patient feedback. The action plan and decisions will be communicated to all relevant officials for strict compliance, he added.