Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the enhanced beneficial YSR Aarogyasri scheme that would provide free medical treatment up to Rs. 25 lakh and making it applicable to all people having annual income up to Rs. 5 lakh.
Launching the new scheme virtually from the Camp office here on Monday, the Chief Minister described it as unprecedented in the country and said 4.25crore people from 1, 48,000 lakh families would be covered under the scheme. He also formally launched the distribution of new YSR Aarogyasri cards.
The revolutionary step would prevent people from falling into debt trap due to increasing cost of medical treatment, he said, adding that MLAs, staff of village secretariats, volunteers, ANMs and ASHA workers would involve in the massive public awareness campaign from Tuesday on how to use the enhanced free medical treatment for 3257 ailments and procedures at 2513 hospitals.
He said medical treatment under Aarogyasri would also be available at 85 Hyderabad super speciality hospitals, 35 Bangalore hospitals and 16 Chennai Hospitals and stated that the number of people who received treatment under the scheme has gone up to 53 lakhs now from 22, 32, 000 in TDP rule.
Government has been gradually expanding the network of medical facilities every year, and as a result, the number of 104 and 108 vehicles has gone up to 936 from 226 in TDP rule while adding 17 new medical colleges to the existing 11 and filling up 53, 126 doctors, nurses and para medical staff vacancies to cater to the growing needs.
While ailments like bone marrow and heart transplantation were also brought under Aarogyasri, Government has so far spent Rs. 1900crore only on cancer patients with no cap on treatment expenditure as against Rs, 5 lakh limit imposed during TDP rule.
He said that as against the entire Rs. 5900crore spent on Aarogyasri in TDP rule, the present Government has been spending an average of Rs. 4100crore every year besides spending Rs.1309 crore under Arogya Asara alone.
Government has taken care to fill specialist doctors’ vacancies and it is proud to claim that there is only 3.95 per cent shortage of specialist doctors as against the national average of 61 per cent while there is no scarcity of nurses and lab technicians.
He said that the official machinery is also taking steps to supply WHO quality medicines to people at the doorstep with cooperation of postal department besides making 562 sorts of medicines available in Government hospitals.
With 10032 village health clinics being equipped with CHOs, ANMs and 3 to 4 ASHA workers and with 105 sorts of medicines and 14 types of diagnostic tests being made available coupled with the visits of family doctors to villages twice every month, Government has taken the preventive health care system to the next level , he said, adding Andhra Pradesh is the only state in the country to have such facility.
Nadu-Nedu programme is also helping the hospitals across the State attain national standards and the Government is committed to turn the State into Arogya Andhra Pradesh.
The Chief Minister also asked the officials to continue the Aarogyasri public awareness campaign simultaneously along the second phase of the Jagananna Aarogya Suraksh beginning January 1.
He said under the first phase of Arogya Suraksha, 60, 27, 843 people were examined and 45, 6018 diagnostic tests were conducted and necessary medical treatment was extended to the needy.
ANMs, CHOs, people’s representatives, women police and enthusiasts should help people download the Disha App along with the Aarogyasri App and the specially- made 6 minute video during the awareness campaign, he suggested.
Health Minister V. Rajani, Chief Secretary Dr KS Jawahar Reddy, Special CS MT Krishna Babu (Medical & Health) and other senior officials were among those present.
