GUNTUR, DECEMBER 2
Brushing aside the religion and caste colours by detractors, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy gave a sharp rebuttal through taking forward the welfare agenda.
Addressing the audience after launching “YSR Post Operative Sustenance (YSR Arogyasri Asara)’’ scheme at the Guntur Government Hospital here on Monday, Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “My religion is humanity and my caste is keeping up the promises made to the people,” amid thunderous ovation here on Monday.
“It is unfortunate that some people are talking about my religion and my caste. I tell them now that humanity is my religion and keeping up my word to my people is my caste,’’ the Chief Minister said.
Despite all such mudslinging, the government will take forward our welfare programmes, Jagan asserted.
Jagan Mohan Reddy said that to ensure that no one starves due to loss of wages during the recovery period after treatment YSR Aarogya Asara is introduced and it is an integral part of YSR Aarogysri scheme.
Besides providing the free treatment to the state people, the government decided to provide financial assistance during the recuperative period. Post-therapeutic sustenance allowance of Rs 225 per day or Rs 5,000 per month will be provided to the patients who have undergone treatment under YSR Aarogya Sri for the number of days prescribed by doctors.
The government is going to issue new cards with QR code from January 1, 2020. It contains all the details of the card holder’s medical record.
Making a revolutionary change the Chief Minister said that the Aarogya Sri services will be extended to more 1,200 diseases from January 1. And if the medical bill crosses Rs 1,000, they will be included under Aarogya Sri. As a pilot project, this will be introduced in the West Godavari district for three months starting January 1. He also said that from April, these services will be introduced across the state.
The Chief Minister said that about 2,000 diseases will be included under Aarogya Sri services and the government will buy 1,060 ambulances for 104 and 108 services. These ambulances will be available from April 1.
About 510 types of drugs will be available at the government hospitals by December 15 and the same hospitals will be available with drugs that meet World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
From December 26, under the Nadu-Nedu scheme, completes modernization and total facelift of PHCs, CHCs and regional hospitals will begin.
From January 1, Thalassemia, sickle cell and hemophilia patients will receive a pension of Rs 10,000. People who are confined to a wheelchair with paralysis and other ailments, people with kidney disease (Stage 3, 4, 5) will receive Rs 5,000. Similarly, leprosy patients will be included in the Rs 3,000 category.
The Chief Minister said that doctors, nurses, and staff posts will be filled in the hospitals by the end of May. From January 1, cancer patients will be included under Aarogya Sri services. Though the cost for radiation treatment is high, the Chief Minister said that the government will pay the amount for all the cycles that are required for the treatment.
The government is planning to establish new hospitals in Vizianagaram, Paderu, Eluru, Gurajala, Machilipatnam, Markapuram, Pulivendula, said Chief Minister.
