BJP-TD pact to continue: Srinivas
Guntur: BJP leader and minister for medical and health K. Srinivas said the BJP-TD alliance would continue without disturbance, not-withstanding rumours to the contrary.
The BJP planned to strengthen the party in the state with the help of the Union government’s welfare activities and disbursal of funds to the state government, he added, denying that the BJP governments fund allocation to it so far had not been meagre and that the Çentre was giving AP all the required support. The BJP state executive committee meeting would be held at Vijayawada on Monday when they would discuss these issues, he pointed out.
Mr Srinivas also announced that the government would open cancer hospitals in Guntur, Kurnool and Nellore and launch a manufacturing park in Visakhapatnam for the manufacture of medical equipment for which funds to the tune of Rs 225 crore had been set aside.
The minister said that maternal and infant mortality in AP had been brought down in 2015-16, a positive development that he attributed to the governments special focus on upgrading the medical and health sector.
Referring to the shortage of doctors and other staff in state hospitals, he said that 1,400 doctors’ posts had been filled, with 500 more to be filled soon. He added that the Union government had also announ-ced incentives to AP state for this achievement.
Mr Srinivas said the government had sanctioned Rs 101 crore for the development of 186 Primary Health Centres (PHCs), the funds being used to equip all hospitals with the required medical instruments. He added that nearly 20 lakh tests had been conducted so far on 5.60 lakh patients under a free diagnosis scheme in government hospitals. He added that an ultrasound scanning facility would be provided in all PHCs and government area hospitals.