Andhra CM reviews Aarogya Suraksha, 'Why AP Needs Jagan' campaign

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy stressed on the need to handhold the patients identified in Jagananna Aarogya Suraksha camps till they are fully cured of ailments.

During a virtual review meeting on Aarogya Suraksha and 'Why AP Needs Jagan' campaign held at the Tadepalli camp office near here on Monday, he told District Collectors that the Suraksha’s main objective is to ensure that all patients in a family are cured of their ailments with full support of the official machinery.

Through Why AP Needs Jagan which would begin on November 9, all people should know about the benefits they have received through various welfare schemes and reforms implemented by the government.

“The Aarogya Suraksha camps are not ordinary medical camps. With the camps coming to final stage, real work starts now. There is a need to handhold them as the identified patients are referred to various hospitals,” he said.

With Aarogya Suraksha camps so far covering 98 percent of the 10,032 village secretariats and 77 percent of the 1841ward secretariats, and with 91 and 94.94 percent screening tests being completed in urban and rural areas respectively, officials are equipped with the data of 6.4 crore rapid medical tests of the people from 1.44 crore families, he said.

“While tracking them through the mobile app and mapping them with the referred hospitals, their details should be linked to the family doctors, village clinics and the medical staff at the village and ward secretariats,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the official machinery should handhold them till they are cured of their ailments completely.

When the officials said that doctors have so far identified 85,000 persons who are in need of further treatment and 13, 850 of them have been sent to various hospitals, he asked the officials to send the rest also to hospitals. The patients should be given Rs. 500 for expenses when they are sent to the referral hospitals.

Family doctors should refer the patients having ailments and diseases uncovered by Aarogyasri to district level teaching hospitals. “You should take steps to treat even such patients also freely under Aarogyasri treating them as special cases and Government should hold the responsibility in such cases,” he told the officials, asking them to complete the referrals of the present phase by December end.

Family doctors and village clinics should ensure that the discharged patients are strictly using the medicines given to them under Aarogya Aasara, he said, adding this can be done using the additional features in the Aarogyasri app.

The Chief Minister directed them to prepare an action plan to conduct four Jagananna Aarogya Suraksha camps in every Mandal regularly every month from January 1.

He also said that public awareness campaign should be conducted from November 15 to December 15 to help people download the Aarogyasri App and learn the process of using Aarogyasri services freely at 2295 hospitals across the state. During the campaign, Aarogyasri booklets also should be distributed to the people. From December 1, Aarogyasri cards should be given.

Family doctors and village clinics should also help solve the issues of anaemia and malnutrition by monitoring if anaemic children and mothers are receiving the nutritious food and necessary medicines,

When the officials said that out of the 8.7 lakh persons who had undergone eye tests, 73,000 persons need eye surgeries and 5.22 lakh persons need eye glasses, the Chief Minister told them to complete these surgeries by December end.

Speaking about preventive health care, he said that further diagnostic tests should be conducted on patients having diabetes and hypertension while necessary tests should be conducted on 9969 persons having leprosy symptoms, 442 persons having TB symptoms and on 1239 children suspected to have 4-D health issues.

Cochlear implant treatment also should be completed earlier on all these persons, he said, adding that patients suffering from muscular dystrophy, kidney and liver ailments should also be given free medicines as they can’t afford to buy them,

With new medical colleges coming up, Collectors should take steps to fill all vacancies of specialist doctors, physicians and non-medical staff to strengthen the teaching hospitals at district level.

Through Why AP Needs Jagan officials should inform the people about the benefits they have received by every household and every village, the Chief Minister told the Collectors.

People should be informed about how much amount has been received by each village through DBT and non-DBT schemes, how many people have benefitted through different schemes and what is the good done to each village through these schemes, he said,