Focus on Aarogya Telangana: Harish Rao

Yadadri-Bhongir: The State government was working with a target of achieving Aarogya Telangana (Healthy Telangana), said Health Minister T Harish Rao. Holding review meeting with the medical officers of Area Hospitals, Primary Health Centres, Urban Health Centres and Gynecologists of private hospitals here, Harish Rao said the State government accorded top priority to health sector and sanctioned funds to improve quality of health care services and infrastructure in the government run hospitals.

Stating that there was no shortage of medicine in the government hospitals, he pointed out that funds for medicines were increased to Rs 500 crore from Rs 200 crore by the State government. Dialysis facility was being provided to the poor people free of cost only in Telangana in the country. Doctors should also work with dedication in view of availability of modern medical equipment, diagnostics labs and medicines in the government hospitals.

He also instructed the officials to improve the sanitation in the government run hospitals. Doctors have a key role to play in protection of public health. Gynecologists should avoid unnecessary cesarean delivery and strive to increase normal deliveries. It was unfortunate that Telangana State stood in top in cesarean deliveries.

He reminded that Telangana stood in third place in health sector after Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He stressed the need for united efforts to ensure the State reached the top position in delivery of healthcare. Cesarean delivery constituted 62 percent of the total deliveries in the State. Doctors and ASHA workers should create awareness among the pregnant women on the advantages of normal deliveries.

Stating that the first hour after a baby was born is considered as golden hour, he said that the baby should be fed with mother milk in the golden hour, which would increase their immunity power. According to the official figures, only 36 newborn babies were being fed mother’s milk in the golden hour in the State.

Reduce C-Sections

He expressed dissatisfaction over all the deliveries in the private hospitals registering as cesarean deliveries. He instructed the District Medical and Health Officer (DM&O), who was present at the meeting, to conduct audit of cesarean deliveries and send a report to Medical Council of India, if any suspicious thing was found. He would conduct surprise visit to the government hospitals soon.

Director of Health Srinivas Rao, district Collector Pamela Sathpathi and DM&HO Dr Mallikarjuna Rao also attended the review meeting.