The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Insurance scheme for ailing kids planned

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Insurance scheme for ailing kids planned

By Our Staff Reporter

Manda Krishna Madiga being physically lifted into a police van as he was staging a protest in front of Care Hospital in Hyderabad on Monday against the death of a child Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD, AUG. 9. The State Government is thinking of evolving an insurance scheme for children suffering from serious ailments, the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, said on Monday. He was addressing the attendants of the 109 children with heart disease who are undergoing treatment at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS).

Dr. Reddy assured the anxious attendants that the Government would arrange free operations of the kids. He said the proposed insurance scheme would cover numerous children in the State with different ailments.

Comforts mothers

The Chief Minister toured the ward where some of the kids and their mothers have been accommodated. He talked to Sangamma, the mother of the frail Sailaja (8) from Sullurpet in Nellore district, and asked the child, who has been diagnosed with congenital heart disease, whether she went to school. He advised Sangamma to send her to school after the treatment.

Dr. Reddy also spoke to the mothers of Narender (5) from Dharur mandal in Mahabubnagar district and Sankar (8) from Markapur in Prakasam district.

Later, the Chief Minister enquired about the condition of the Minister for Technical Education, N. Narasimha Reddy, who was admitted to the hospital in the morning, and the Congress legislator, G. Chinna Reddy, who is the ICU due to spondylitis.

Three surgeries today

According to Dr. Rajagopal, the treatment, including surgery, of each of the 109 children could range between Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh. The operations would be performed in phases, at the rate of two or three a day. Tests were run on the children on Sunday and Monday, and the number of children admitted to NIMS went up from 81 on Sunday to 109 the next day, he said.

Dr. Subba Rao said three children would undergo surgeries on Tuesday.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh