To ensure early treatment for patients coming to government health facilities with early detection of their ailments, the State government would open 18 diagnostic centres in districts by April-end that can conduct 60 different types of tests, Health Minister Eatala Rajender told the Assembly on Thursday.
Responding to a question asked by TRS members Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy and Dr. Methuku Anand during the Question Hour, the Minister explained that such diagnostic centres were being established under the ‘hub and spoke model’ with a cost of up to ₹1.5 crore each. He stated that two such labs had already started functioning, including the one at Siddipet.
In Hyderabad, the government has established a modern pathological lab with an investment of about ₹12 crore in the blood bank complex at Narayanguda and samples collected in about 325 centres in the city would be taken to the lab for various prescribed tests. Reports of such tests would be sent directly to the patients and hospitals/health facility concerned in online mode.
About 5,000 samples were being tested every day at the Narayanguda lab with a capacity to conduct 2,000 samples an hour, the Minister said.
Besides, smaller testing facilities had already been established with ₹50 lakh each equipment in eight health centres and another 12 in the process of establishment. In response to Dr. Anand’s suggestion to establish the facilities for breast and cervical cancer detection, the Minister said the government was also planning to add radiology diagnosis in district hospitals.
Mr. Ramana Reddy suggested the government to provide sugar, blood pressure and COVID testing facilities in 104 vehicles along with medicines for sugar, blood pressure, COVID and TB. He also suggested the government to conduct sugar and blood pressure tests to all people above 50 years age on the lines of Kanti Velugu programme.
Dr. Anand said the incidence of seasonal diseases like malaria, typhoid and diarrhoea had come down considerably in the State with the supply of safe drinking water through Mission Bhagiratha. He also pointed out shortage of staff in PHCs and labs. The Minister said Chityal and Bhupalapally hospitals would be inaugurated soon and the shortage of staff was also being looked into.
