Major overhaul of health sector needed: Minister

Minister Satya Kumar Yadav calls for overhaul of health sector in State, focusing on short, medium, and long-term changes.

Acknowledging that the health sector in the State needs a major overhaul, Minister for Health, Medical and Family Welfare, and Medical Education Y. Satya Kumar Yadav asked officials to come up with suggestions and an action plan to bring about a change in the short, medium and long term.

At a meeting in Mangalagiri on Tuesday with Superintendents of all Government General Hospitals and principals of government medical colleges in the State, he said the TDP-led NDA government would work towards undoing all the damage that the sector suffered during the rule of YSRCP in the past five years.

“Due to the negligence of the previous government, many issues have accumulated at GGHs. We will address all these issues and bring about a change in the services in next two years,” the Minister said, adding that special attention would be paid to sanitation of the premises.

At the meeting, the Minister pointed out to lack of facilities at GGHs in the State and questioned why these were not on a par with the facilities provided at private hospitals. He sought to know why there were complaints regarding behaviour of staff, maintenance of toilets and services, and why despite providing good services, there was a lack of acknowledgement of their work in the public.

He asked all the officials to work in such a way that the government hospitals should be the first, not the last, option for people. The Minister felt the need to strengthen the security at the hospitals to avoid repetition of incidents such as child kidnapping, and asked all GGH Superintendents to provide suggestions on what could be done to improve facilities and thus improve the image of government hospitals in public perception.

Special Chief Secretary to the department M. T. Krishna Babu, Director of Medical Education Narsimham and others were present.