Telangana proposes to boost urban healthcare infra

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Cabinet Sub-committee on health, which met here under the chairmanship of Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Thursday, took some key decisions on improving the delivery of health services in the State, especially in the urban areas. 

The committee, which also comprises Ministers KT Rama Rao, E Dayakar Rao and Talasani Srinivas Yadav, discussed steps to bolster the public health by strengthening the diagnostics, clinics and hospital care in and around the GHMC limits.

Referring to one of the key decisions, Health Minister Eatala, said: “The Chief Minister had given approval for establishing around 202 new Basti Dawakhanas, to add to the existing list of 198. Twenty-six new Basti Dawakhanas will be ready by the end of this month.” 

“There will also be a push to enhance the diagnostic facilities at these Urban Primary Health Clinics (UPHCs) by adding nearly 60 kinds of tests to the existing list of tests and to have them tested at the Telangana Diagnostic Centre at the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM), which will also be strengthened in terms of testing capacities,” he added. 

“The primary healthcare will also see value addition in terms of new palliative care centres, which will help in giving care and services to end-stage or bedridden patients. Hyderabad will also be split into eight zones and will have exclusive X-ray and ECG investigation centres so that the citizens are not forced to spend thousands on tests,” he added.

“Whatever money is needed, the State government is ready to spend to bolster public healthcare,” Eatala said. 

Meanwhile, MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao said that due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, there is a need to invest in and further strengthen the medical infrastructure in the State. “With help from IT wing, there would also be a storing of patient data and health charts to centralise patient health history,” he said.