VIJAYAWADA: The State government has decided to include treatment of post-Covid health problems related to lungs and kidneys among children in the YSR Aarogyasri Scheme. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took a decision in this regard on Monday after officials informed him that several children are facing health problems related to lung and kidneys after their recovery from Covid-19. He directed the officials to provide free medical treatment to such children under Aarogyasri and fix rates under the health scheme considering the realistic situation so that network hospitals do not suffer. Aarogyasri bills should be paid to the network hospitals within three weeks of submission.
“Aarogyasri should be one of the best health schemes in the country, he asserted and asked the officials to monitor its implementation on a daily basis. The Chief Minister, who held a review on the Covid-19 situation in the State and measures to be taken for treatment of children in the wake of projections of possible third wave, said the officials should be prepared to face any eventuality. Nurses and medical staff should be provided training in paediatric Covid management, he said.
Informing him about treatment facilities to be made available to children in government hospitals, the officials said they chalked out a plan to increase ICU beds and augment oxygen supply. “We have plans to increase ICU beds to 1,600 and oxygen beds to 3,777 for children. Simultaneously, plans are afoot to recruit paediatricians, staff nurses and other support staff,’’ they said.
Jagan instructed the officials to implement the action plan and complete recruitment of medical staff within one month. The Chief Minister suggested that the proposed health hubs be set up near habitations and multispeciality hospitals should come up in towns and cities. “The main objective of setting up health hubs is to make multispeciality health care available in the State and people need not go to Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad for it,” he asserted. Super speciality hospitals with best infrastructure should come up in every district.
The districts should attain self-sufficiency in providing quality health care services through the health hubs, he said, and asked the officials to prepare guidelines pertaining to health hubs within two weeks. Briefing about the Covid situation in the State, the officials explained to him that the data from June 6 to 12 showed that the number of fresh cases declined significantly. The positivity rate came down to 6.58 per cent from 25.56 per cent on May 16. About 5 lakh calls were made to 104 call centres from April 15, they said. Deputy CM (Health) Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas, Covid Command and Control Centre Chairman KS Jawahar Reddy, Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal, Covid Task Force Committee Chairman MT Krishna Babu, Health Commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar and other officials were present.
