By Kandula Naryana Reddy
Copyright thehindu
Medical and Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav has informed the Andhra Pradesh Assembly that the State government has given top priority to filling vacant doctor posts in tribal areas.
Replying to a question raised by Kandula Naryana Reddy and others during Question Hour on Tuesday, the Minister explained that even as vacancies were arising out of retirements and voluntary retirements, the government is taking immediate steps to address the shortage.
“Walk-in interviews are being conducted to ensure there is no gap in public health services. Promotions are also being given promptly. Since the coalition government assumed office, 306 Civil Assistant Surgeon posts were sanctioned for 153 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in tribal areas. Out of the 138 vacant posts, 131 (90%) have been filled in the last five months. Only 31 posts remain vacant, and steps are being taken to fill them soon,” he said.
Highlighting developments in medical education, Mr. Satya Kumar stated that the Markapur hospital in Prakasam district will be upgraded into a teaching hospital. Due to mismanagement by the previous government, infrastructure and staff shortages had delayed its functioning. While only ₹47 crore was spent earlier, the coalition government has now decided to establish a 625-bed medical college in Markapur under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The Minister further informed the House that around 250 in-service doctors pursuing postgraduate studies will return in November and will be appointed in hospitals where they are needed the most. Plans are also under way to strengthen hospitals at Kanigiri, Kovuru, and Buchireddypalem.
Heart attack treatment
On specialised healthcare, Mr. Yadav highlighted that under the STEMI protocol for heart attack patients, free injections worth ₹45,000 are being provided. So far, nearly 4,000 patients have recovered from life-threatening conditions through this initiative. However, he noted that the implementation of STEMI [State government’s program for managing ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) utilising a hub-and-spoke model to provide golden hour treatment for patients in rural areas) at the PHC level remains a challenge due to the shortage of specialist doctors.
He also emphasised that due to the coalition government’s initiatives, the maternal mortality rate has dropped from 38.8% to 30%.
