We have taken healthcare to people’s doorstep: Jagan

‘Aarogyasri coverage will be incrementally increased by November’

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said his government has brought in several revolutionary changes in the medical and health sector aimed at bringing quality healthcare to the doorstep of people.

In his address on Day 5 of the ‘Mana Palana-Mee Suchana’ interactive programme capping one-year rule on Friday, Mr. Jagan said his government had raised the annual income limit of beneficiaries of Aarogyasri to ₹5 lakh, increasing the coverage to 1.42 crore people .

“Our government has extended Aarogyasri coverage to all medical bills above ₹1,000. We have begun a pilot project extending the scheme to 2,000 diseases in West Godavari district and on July 8, it will be extended it to six more districts and the rest in November. As of now, the scheme covers 1,200 diseases, including cancer,’’ the Chief Minister said.

At present, 132 super speciality hospitals, including those in Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru are covered by Aarogyasri, he said, adding the government has cleared arrears amounting to ₹682 crore to the network hospitals. The hospitals would be graded and all B grade hospitals should make an endeavour to reach grade A.

On the Arogya Asara scheme, under which patients would be paid ₹225 per day or ₹ 5,000 per month till they recover. Pension was being paid to people suffering from long-term ailments such as stage 3 of kidney disease and haemophilia.

Focus on infra

“Of all the schemes, my favourite is Kanti Velugu, under which more than 70 lakh children were tested. Of them, 4.36 lakh children have been diagnosed with defective vision,” said Mr. Jagan said.

Facilities at teaching hospitals would be improved at a cost of ₹16,000 crore, he said, adding 16 teaching hospitals would be set up in all parliamentary constituencies .

Minister for Health Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas and officials were present.