E-Paper
Andhra Pradesh plans to set up rural clinics for better health infra in villages
Named YSR Rural Clinics after former chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh, YS Rajasekhar Reddy, these village clinics will help in creating health infrastructure at the grassroots
Andhra Pradesh will open rural clinics to reach health care to people in villages, an initiative that will be launched by chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on January 26, India’s Republic Day.
Named YSR Rural Clinics after former chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh, YS Rajasekhar Reddy, these village clinics will help in creating health infrastructure at the grassroots, a health department official said.
“At present, healthcare in rural areas is being taken care of by primary health centres. They are operating from mandal (block) headquarters,” the official said, requesting anonymity. “Now, the government plans to set up as many as 10,032 YSR Rural Clinics to take the healthcare to the villages. They will be attached to the village councils and each clinic will cover a population of 2,000.”
The clinics will be staffed by health providers who are either graduates in nursing or have completed a certificate course in community health. There will also be trained midwives. Asha (accredited social health activist) workers will report to the proposed rural clinics.
The clinics will be linked with primary health centres and pathological labs through video conferencing, the official said. The health records of villagers will be available in the clinics through their Arogyasri cards, the official added. YSR Arogyasri is a health scheme run by the state government.
Government doctors at primary health centres will be able to assess health records through the Arogyasri cards, helping them to diagnose and treat patients when they visit villages. “Every mandal (sub-district) will have two primary health centres equipped with facilities and staff, including two doctors, and they will be integrated with emergency health services and ambulance services,” the health department official said.
The staff at the rural clinic will provide 12 basic medical services and 14 types of basic diagnostic tests, the official said. As many as 64 types of medicines will be stored at the clinic. Further, 67 types of basic medical equipment will be available in these clinics, apart from telemedicine services, the official said.
“The government is investing ₹16,203 crore for revamping government hospitals and medical colleges across the state in order to strengthen public healthcare and health Infrastructure,” the official said. “The chief minister has already given green signal for the recruitment of 14,200 doctors and paramedical staff this year, so that there is no staff crunch in the hospitals.”
