Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed his satisfaction on Thursday that he has fulfilled a promise made to the people of Uddanam area in Srikakulam by inaugurating the Rs 87 crore Dr YSR Kidney Research and Super Speciality Hospital.
“This hospital would give relief to the thousands of kidney patients suffering for years. I remember what people told me about their problems during my padayatra. I gave a word to them on December 30, 2018 that I will help set up a hospital. Today I stand in front of you with pride for inaugurating this 200-bed hospital that will solve kidney patients’ problems,” the Chief Minister told the huge gathering at the Railway Grounds in Palasa in Srikakulam district.
The hospital will be developed as a world class facility and nodal centre for treatment of kidney-related ailments and be of help to people across the state, he said.
It would extend comprehensive and advanced medical care to kidney patients free of cost, the Chief Minister declared.
The hospital, having three blocks on four floors, has state-of-the art medical facilities including general medicine, nephrology and urology departments, dialysis wings, ICU wards, radio diagnosis, pathology, microbiology and biochemistry laboratories, post-surgery care and CT scan. Also assembled are digital X-ray and holmium laser uro-dynamic machines.
The hospital has 375 staff members including 42 specialist doctors, 60 nurses and 60 support and para-medical staff. It would be developed as a kidney transplantation centre and the first transplantation is likely to take place two months hence.
The Chief Minister said so far, 2,32,898 persons were tested at the screening centres in Kaviti, Kanchili, Palasa, Vajrapukotturu, Ichapuram, Sompeta and Mandasa mandals. Some 19,532 persons above the age of 25 were found to have creatinine levels above normal.
“All of them are being treated with free supply of medicines. Patients are also undergoing dialysis at 69 centres,” Jagan Mohan Reddy said, adding that more dialysis facilities would come up soon. Semi-auto analysers have been established at 18 PHCs in rural areas apart from 5 PHCs in urban areas and six community health centres.
The monthly pension for dialysis patients have been hiked to Rs 10,000 by the present government from the Rs 2,500 given during the TD rule. Along with the Rs 5,000 monthly pension also being paid to non-dialysis patients, the government has been paying Rs 12.54 crore to 13,143 patients as pension every month. During the TD rule, the payment was only Rs 76 lakh, given to 3,076 patients at that time, the Chief Minister said.
“Three phases are over out of the intended 4-phase study undertaken by the ICMR and the George Institute for Global Health to have a permanent solution to the recurrence of kidney ailments in Uddanam area,” the CM said, adding this problem had been neglected by the TD government.
He said the state government is also signing an MoU with Harvard Medical School and North Carolina University in running the super speciality hospital. “Soon, Markapuram in Prakasam district also will have a super speciality hospital and kidney research centre with special nephrology and urology departments, he said.
The Chief Minister said the government spent Rs 700 crore on the Sujaladhara Project for bringing Vamsadhara surface water through pipelines from Hiramandalam reservoir to Uddanam.
It would supply safe drinking water to 6.78 lakh people of 1,98,000 families in 807 villages in seven mandals of Palasa and Ichchapuram constituencies.
The project would be extended to Pathapatnam constituency in the second phase at a cost of Rs 265 crore and work on this would begin after the Sankranti festival. The project is presently delivering safe drinking water to 613 villages and the rest will start receiving the water by the end of December, Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
Responding to the appeals from the local MLA and minister Appala Raju, the Chief Minister sanctioned Rs 20 crore for local development works.
