No dearth of funds for public hospitals: Dy CM Hyderabad, Nov 25 (INN): Deputy Chief Minister Dr T Rajaiah said that there would no dearth of funds for all government hospitals in the State.
Replying to a question raised by MLAs S Rajender Reddy and T Prakash Goud during Question Hour in the State Assembly on Tuesday, Dr Rajaiah, who also holds medical portfolio, said that the government had allocated Rs 552 crore in this year's budget to improve conditions of government hospital across the State.
Of them, Rs 100 crore each have been allocated for Osmania General Hospital and Gandhi Hospital. He said no government in the past has made so much of allocation for city's premier public hospitals. He also announced that the OP Block of Bibi Nagar NIMS would become operational soon.
The Deputy CM said that he had visited almost all the public hospitals in the State in the past few months. Admitting that the conditions in those hospitals were worst, he said the previous governments have neglected them which consequently led the poor people to face hardship.
He said that the government was unable to fill doctors' vacancies due to a ban on recruitment. He said that the shortage of doctors would be met immediately after the completion of process of bifurcation of doctors as per the AP State Reorganisation Act, 2014.
However, the opposition members expressed dissatisfaction over the minister's reply. MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi alleged that almost 75 per cent medical equipment and machinery in the OGH have become defunct.
He even suspected sabotage aimed at benefitting the corporate hospitals. He said there were no doctors, no equipment, no medicines and even no security in government hospitals. He urged the Deputy CM to take the elected representatives along while visiting the public hospitals.
Congress MLA Komatireddy Venkatreddy asked the government to release Rs 60-70 Crore immediately to expedite the completion of NIMS at Bibi Nagar. He said it would reduce the burden on OGH and Gandhi Hospitals.
BJP floor leader Dr K Lakshman said that the formation of 'Bangaru Telangana' was not possible without improving the medical facilities in government hospitals. On an average, he said, there is a shortage of staff by at least 50 per cent in each public hospital.
He complained that the OGH had not incubator or ventilator in functional condition. In emergency cases, a patient would die before he is shifted from OGH to NIMS due to lack of ventilator in the former. He demanded establishment of more number of hospitals on the city's outskirts so as to reduce the burden on OGH and Gandhi Hospital.
MLAs Vivekananda Goud, Prakash Goud, B Kishan were among those spoke on the issue.
News Posted: 25 November, 2014
|