Secondary Hospitals Perform Complex Surgeries, Reduce Referrals: DSH

Vijayawada: Government secondary hospitals across Andhra Pradesh are increasingly emerging as centres for advanced medical care, with doctors successfully performing several complex surgeries that would otherwise require referrals to major teaching hospitals.

According to the Directorate of Secondary Health (DSH), 32 complicated surgeries were successfully performed in secondary government hospitals between January 31 and recent weeks this year. In addition, 18 hospitals were recognised for effective implementation of national health programmes.

Director of Secondary Health, K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu, issued 50 appreciation letters to medical teams and hospitals for their services. Health minister Satya Kumar Yadav praised doctors, nurses and healthcare staff for strengthening confidence among patients by providing quality treatment locally.

Officials said doctors in area hospitals were performing difficult surgeries despite limited infrastructure, helping reduce referrals, treatment costs and travel burdens on patients.

Among the major achievements, doctors at Rampachodavaram Area Hospital in the tribal region successfully performed a total knee replacement surgery, a procedure usually undertaken in teaching hospitals. Chintapalli Area Hospital carried out surgeries for rectal prolapse and massive fibroid hysterectomy cases.

Rajampet Area Hospital enabled a woman who had earlier undergone a Caesarean section to deliver normally during her second childbirth. At Anakapalli District Hospital, doctors reported the natural birth of a 4.8-kg baby.

A rare skin transplant surgery was performed at Narsipatnam Area Hospital, where doctors removed and transplanted 26 per cent of damaged skin from a patient’s body. The hospital also conducted rare hernia repair procedures, including Spigelian, obturator and sciatic hernia surgeries.

Doctors at Araku Area Hospital removed a nine-kg abdominal tumour from a woman, while orthopaedic specialists at Tenali District Hospital performed life-saving surgeries on two women injured in separate accidents.

At Emmiganur Area Hospital, ophthalmologists completed 511 cataract surgeries over the past 16 months.

The DSH also highlighted improved implementation of programmes such as ABHA, NQAS, NBSU, SNCU and NCD services. Hospitals at Dharmavaram, Parvathipuram, Adoni, Anaparthi, Peddapuram and Anakapalli were recognised for their performance.

Dharmavaram Area Hospital has also introduced advanced laparoscopic surgeries using equipment worth Rs 37 lakh. Four minimally invasive procedures were conducted during the past 10 days, helping patients recover faster without major stitches.