Harish Rao stresses on more normal deliveries in Govt hospitals

Hyderabad: Health Minister T Harish Rao on Saturday called upon doctors and healthcare staff to strive for increasing the number of normal deliveries at government hospitals and to cut down on ‘C’ section surgeries. Special attention should be given to the health of pregnant women and every pregnant woman should be checked up by the […]

Hyderabad: Health Minister T Harish Rao on Saturday called upon doctors and healthcare staff to strive for increasing the number of normal deliveries at government hospitals and to cut down on ‘C’ section surgeries.

Special attention should be given to the health of pregnant women and every pregnant woman should be checked up by the ANC four times and their details should be recorded. During the check-ups, anaemic women should be identified and their health should be monitored regularly, he said during a teleconference with health department officials here on Saturday.

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“In the past, incentives were given for ‘C’ sections but after Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s instructions, incentives are being given to promote normal deliveries” the Minister said, adding that special facilities were being arranged in CHCs, area, district and medical college hospitals for ASHA and ANMs, who bring pregnant woman to the hospitals.

Prior to the formation of Telangana State, only 33 percent of deliveries used to take place in government hospitals, which had now increased to 66 percent, the Health Minister said.

The Chief Minister was according top priority for extending quality services to the people by strengthening the health sector. Accordingly, measures should be taken by the doctors and other staff to deliver quality services, he said.

The efforts put in by the health department were yielding good results but there was scope for further improvement. Primary health centers play an important role in the prevention of disease, and if a person was diagnosed with a disease at the primary level and given timely treatment, a patient’s life would be saved, he said, pointing out that the State government was strengthening PHCs and sub-centres, as part of which new buildings were sanctioned for 43 PHCs across the State.

“To this effect, Rs.67 crore was being spent on construction works and Rs.43 crore for taking up repair works at 372 PHCs” he said.

There were 4,745 sub-centres across the State and new buildings were approved for 1,239 sub-centres. The government was spending Rs.20 lakh on each centre and the cumulative sanction was Rs.247 crore. The works were being taken up at a brisk pace and 1497 sub centers have been repaired at a cost of Rs.59.88 crore.

“In order to further improve the quality of services to people, internet facility and surveillance cameras are being installed in all 720 PHCs,” the Minister said.

The State government was also targeting to eradicate measles and rubella diseases by 2025. Accordingly, measures should be taken to prevent and detect such cases immediately. The government was working to make Telangana TB-free by 2025. District medical officers should take the initiative to invite donors to support the TB victims and register them as Nikshai Mitra, Harish Rao added.