VIZIANAGARAM: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday asserted that the TDP-led NDA coalition government has been giving top priority to the health sector and allocated 6 per cent of total outlay in the State budget, which is around Rs 19,300 crore.
He said the government has launched the Human Papillomavirus Vaccination drive with “Prevention is Better than Cure” theme ensuring the health of adolescent girls and building a “Cervical Cancer-Free Andhra Pradesh”. He said the government’s ultimate objective is to achieve a “Healthy, Wealthy, and Happy Society”,” he added.
On Saturday, he officially launched the statewide HPV vaccination drive at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Cheepurupalli. The CHC staff administered HPV vaccine to several adolescent girls.
Later, Naidu virtually joined the nationwide launch of the programme initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Ajmer, Rajasthan from Ravivalasa before personally interacting with beneficiaries of the HPV vaccine.
Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav, District In-charge Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, District Minister Kondapalli Srinivas, MP Kalisetti Appala Naidu, Cheepurupalli MLA Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao, Health Commissioner G Veerapandian, District Collector S Ramsundar Reddy, Health Director K Padmavathi, State Immunisation Officer Dr Devi and other senior health officials participated in the launch of the HPV vaccination drive.
Later, Naidu inspected the hospital premises, interacted with students, and directed officials to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness. He lauded Cheepurupalli CHC staff for maintaining the hospital on sound lines and urged the Health Minister to keep all the government hospitals in the State with highest standards of cleanliness like Cheepurupalli CHC.
He said the HPV vaccination drive aims to strengthen preventive healthcare against cancer to make Andhra Pradesh as the “Cervical Cancer-Free State”.