Telangana to start 19 diagnostic centres in district headquarters

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has decided to start diagnostic Centres in 19 identified district headquarters in the state and in the major Government hospitals from Monday. The CM has instructed the officials to start the Diagnostic Centre already completed in Mahbubnagar, Nizamabad, Sangareddy, Medak, Jangaon, Mulugu, Mehboobabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jagtial, Siddipet, Nalgonda, Khammam, Sircilla, Vikarabad, Nirmal, Karimnagar, Adilabad, Gadwal and Asifabad districts and in the major government hospitals.

The CM spoke to medical and health department officials on Saturday and enquired with them about the way Corona decreasing in the State. The CM discussed with the officials about the medical services and other related issues. The Medical and health officials brought to the notice of the CM that as per his instructions, diagnostic centres are ready in 19 district headquarters. In response the CM asked them start the services at the diagnostic centres from Monday onwards.

The CM said to give better medical treatment to people in Telangana State; all the medical services should be made available to them and that is the aim of the government. In the wake of Corona pandemic, all the basic infrastructure facilities at the Primary health centres were improved. The CM reminded that to offer free medical service to the people, the state government had already implementing several schemes. The medical health sector, which was destroyed in the previous united AP rule, had been restored within a short span of time. He said the Telangana government, which is making the State as a healthy state, is making another forward step in this direction. He said the decision to set up 19 diagnostic centres at the district headquarters in the state is a landmark one in the history of medical and health sector in the State.

Speaking on the occasion, the CM said, “Medical treatment is becoming more and more costly for the people. The poor are forced to sell their properties to get the treatment. The cost of diagnostic tests became more than the disease. To detect the ailment, blood and urine tests are a must. These days every other person is suffering with hypertension and diabetes. They have to get examined for them. Tests for the heart, liver, kidney, and lungs, Cancer, Thyroid became a necessity for the poor. And Corona came and joined the list. Several tests are to be conducted for the Covid. The government doctor will write prescription for medicines, but for the diagnostic tests, people are forced to got to the private clinics, spend thousands of rupees and get the tests done. This has become a heavy financial burden on the poor. People are facing lot of hardships to get the Covid tests done for the treatment.

Against this backdrop, the government felt that diagnostic tests are as important as doctors, medicines and injunctions. Hence, the government has decided to set up diagnostic Centres in 19 district headquarters. Diagnostic Centre will also be set up in other places in a phased manner.” He reiterated that such a decision was revolutionary and it showed the commitment of the government on public health. The CM wanted Ministers, MLAs, local body representatives to coordinate with the medical and health department officials and ensure better medical care is given in their respective Constituency to the people. These diagnostic centres launched during the Corona pandemic time would render major help to the people and suitable name would be given to these Centres.

The CM said 57 tests would be conducted at these centres, which include tests for Corona. The tests include Blood, urine, Diabetes, hypertension, Cardiac ailments, orthopedic, liver, kidney, Thyroid related X-ray, biochemistry, Pathology and other tests. The CM said besides the general tests, certain specialty tests, which are expensive, would also be done at the centres free of costs. He said the government had made arrangements to send the results of the test reports to the patients’ mobile phones. He said very expensive equipment with state-of-the-art; modern technology is installed at the centres. Such costly equipment is hitherto available in the corporate hospitals and in major hospitals like Gandhi, Osmania and NIMs. The government decided to have this equipment despite heavy costs, only provide the best medical care to the people free of cost. He said in these Centres have modern technology supported testing equipment like fully Automatic Immunoassay analyzer, Five Part cell counter, fully automatic urine analyzer.  Along with these, ECG, 2 D Echo, Ultra Sound, Digital X Ray and other such imaging testing units were also provided. The CM said that the officials informed him that these testing equipment works very fast and they produce 400 to 800 reports per hour. With these equipment installed spending crores of rupees, tests results of more number of patients can be obtained in short period time and they can be given the medical treatment quickly. He said along with this, CT scans will also be provided where there is a need.

The CM said the government had ensured that adequate pathologists, microbiologists, radiologists and other staff needed to conduct the tests are posted at these centres.

Elaborating further, the CM said, “There are four types of expenses for the medical treatment. The transport expenditure to reach the hospital, doctor’s fee, medicines, diagnostic tests, expenses for the inpatient, if discharged transport charges to come back home, in case of death, funeral expenses.” He said the government is bearing all these expenses and offering free services to people in the government hospitals. For the emergency services, the government is running 428 ambulances under 108 services. 300 Vehicles are already in operation for pregnant women under Amma Vadi Scheme, where the pregnant mothers are transported free to the hospitals and back home after the delivery. He said in the Diagnostic Centres, which are starting from Monday, the government had made arrangements for the poor patient taking treatment under the PHCs, on the doctor’s advice, to get their samples sent to the nearest Centre for quick testing and reports.