AP to cover post-Covid ailments under Aarogyasri: CM Jagan

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy directed officials to be alert to post-Covid-19 ailments cropping up and to include them within the purview of Arogyasri.

Addressing a review meeting on tackling Covid-19 as part of Spandana video conference here on Tuesday, Chief Minister Reddy said that post recovery, 10 per cent of Covid-19 cases were returning with ailments of ear, lungs, brain or kidneys. Such patients and cases need to be identified and brought under purview of Arogyasri.

The Chief Minister said that patients should take precautions for at least six to eight weeks post recovery to overcome the ailment completely. They must report to Aarogyasri empanelled hospitals, even if they have mild symptoms.

The number of positive cases in the state had come down, with nearly 70,000 tests being conducted each day and recovery rate was as high as 94.5 per cent, he said. Andhra Pradesh stood first in the country by conducting 1,33,474 tests out of 10 lakh people, he said.

CM Jagan said patients should be educated about precautions they need to take. Awareness should be created about 104 emergency number and patient should be admitted within 30 minutes.

He said, “extra care should be taken about health and hygiene in 200-odd empanelled hospitals.  Help desks should function at all hospitals. This should be ensured in private hospitals within 15 days. Posters should be put up at help desks, giving all details about precautions to be taken and two Arogya Mitras should run help desks. CCTVs should be arranged for at help desks to monitor their functioning.”

The CM said that there should be no room for corruption in any hospital and strict action should be taken against those who resort to graft. Arogya Mitras have to monitor availability of doctors, medicines and health services to people and give daily reports to collectors, joint collectors or the health secretary. A special awareness drive should be conducted about Covid-19 during the next 10 days about precautions to be taken by people.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Reddy announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the family of Divya Tejaswini, who was murdered recently. He assured that stern action would be taken against the guilty.

Parents of Tejaswini, V. Joseph and Kusuma. accompanied by home minister Mekathoti Sucharita met the Chief Minister at the Tadepalli camp office here today. CM Reddy assured them that strict action would be taken against culprits, under the Disha Act. He assured that the government would stand by the family in these hard times.

Parents of Joseph and Kusuma said that CM Reddy had assured them about providing justice by punishing the killers according to law.

Sucharita said that accused B Nagendra alias Chinna Swamy was undergoing treatment in the GGH at Guntur and is likely to be discharged in two days. She said that police should arrest the accused and will file a chargesheet to provide speedy justice to victim’s family.