Hyderabad|India|January'2009: One Hundred dialysis units will be made functional for Aarogyasri patients in seven hospitals -- NIMS, Gandhi, Osmania, KGH, GGH (Kurnool), GGH (Kakinada), SVRR (Tirupati) at a cost of about Rs.10 crores soon. The Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, who presided over the Aarogyasri Health Care Trust meeting approved the proposal and permitted the Hospitals to purchase the dialysis machines immediately. The Chief Minister said the dialysis units will be of great help to the needy poor patients.

It was also decided that the new building of the Government Maternity Hospital constructed at Petlaburg (where the old Police Transport Organisation complex was situated) will be made operational by the second week of February, 2009.

The Chief Minister will also lay foundation stone for an additional 250-bed hospital complex at the Niloufer Hospital in city and for a new Government Medical College at Nizamabad soon. The Chief Minister also hailed the Aarogyasri Trust and Gandhi Hospital for conducting a record of 7 heart surgeries in a single day under the scheme for poor patients. Dr Reddy was informed by the Aarogyasri executives that 600 out of the 900 beds in NIMS were now under occupation of Aarogysri patients and there was heavy rush for beds there.

Meanwhile the A.P. Beverages Corporation today contributed Rs.5 crores towards the Chief Ministers Relief Fund. Mr R Karikala Valavan, MD of the Beverages Corporation handed over the cheque to the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister thanked the Corporation for the gesture and said "God bless you" since the amount would go to the help of many poor needy patients.

The Chief Minister was informed that the number of surgeries/therapies done till date under Aarogyasri was 1,70,240 and the amount incurred for the same was Rs.564.22 crores. As on 16th January 2009 since launch of the scheme, w.e.f.1st April 2007, in all 13,12,022 patients had been screened in 6886 health camps organized at the village level in the 23 districts. In all 1,23,780 patients were referred to the network hospitals for further evaluation and surgery from these camps. 4,94,371 patients had been examined and treated as outpatients in network hospitals.

The State Government have decided to give online payments for claims raised by Network hospitals for cashless treatment of patients covered under Rajiv Aarogyasri-II, Chief Minister's Camp Office (CMCO) cases from the CMRF. Aarogyasri Health Care Trust was making the online payment for Rajiv Aarogyasri-II and Revenue Department making online payments for CMCO cases.

Principal Secretary (Health), P.K.Agarwal, Principal Secretary (Finance), I Y R Krishna Rao, Principal Secretary (Revenue), M Samuel, Principal Secretary (Revenue) G Sudhir, Commissioner, Excise, Heeralal Samariya, Secretary, Finance, Sekhar Babu, CEO, Aarogyasri, A Babu and other officials attended the meeting.

Reachout's News Bureau
 January' 2009