Plans are afoot to strengthen the infrastructure, including equipment and personnel, in government hospitals so that a majority of cases referred under Aarogyasri and Employees’ Health Scheme are handled there, Health Minister Eatala Rajender. has said
Speaking after a review meeting on Friday with the officials of Directorate of Medical Education, Directorate of Public Health and Family Welfare, Vaidya Vidhana Parishad on the functioning of government hospitals in the State, he said all major government hospitals had resumed medical care services and the flow of outpatients has reached the pre-COVID stage.
He stated that promotions were given to all categories of employees in the Health department, including doctors, nursing staff, technical staff and other support staff. About 1,300 to 1,400 personnel were given promotions recently in teaching and super speciality hospitals apart from 700 others in Vaidya Vidhana Parishad hospitals.
On strengthening the infrastructure in government hospitals, Mr. Rajender said he was expecting good allocation of funds from the Centre as part of its plans to strengthen the healthcare sector, as mentioned in the recent Union Budget.
Responding to a question on the status of Osmania General Hospital, particularly that of the old (heritage) building, the Minister said the building was vacated as precautionary measure keeping in view its condition including the incidence of flooding during monsoon. He stated that a drainage line passes under the old building and the efforts to construct a new building were mired in court cases.
Besides, construction of a new building in the vacant space was allowed only up to four floors and it would be not sufficient to meet the needs at present.
The Minister stated that cancer treatment blocks in NIMS were modernised and about 150 beds were available now and another 50 beds were being planned to be added soon by spending ₹5 crore more. The number of ICU beds there would also be increased from 125 to 500.
Further, he stated that tenders were already called for establishing modern operation theatres in Gandhi Hospital with ₹35 crore so that organ transplantation too could be taken up. All the hospitals upgraded in the recent years would also be allocated funds in the coming budget, he noted.
