The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Doctors urged to help poor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 12, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Doctors urged to help poor

By Our Staff Reporter

WARANGAL, DEC. 11. The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has urged medical professionals to help the poor in their health care and supplement the efforts of the State Government for extending medical services to large sections of society.

Inaugurating the 46th Indian Medical Association (IMA) State conference here today, the Chief Minister, while assuring protection of interests of IMA members, requested them to be responsive to the needs of the poor.

"People, particularly those in rural areas, are being burdened by debts. A major chunk of their income goes to medical care which they are finding very difficult to afford,'' he pointed out.

Health insurance

Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy said the Centre and State Governments were planning to introduce health insurance for the poor covering at least selected diseases. The scheme would take a final shape at the earliest.

The Government had done away with user charges and had decided to grant that portion of income directly to the hospitals. "In all, hospitals may raise Rs. 20 crores from user charges.

The Government would give that amount instead of making the poor pay,'' he said.

The Chief Minister said that the Government wanted to help about 6,000 children, particularly hailing from rural areas, get operated upon for heart- related ailments within one year.

He wanted doctors to help the Government realise its target within the stipulated time.

Attack on doctors

Referring to the complaints of increasing attacks on doctors and the alleged negligence, the Chief Minister said the Government would not keep quite if somebody tried to take the law into his hands.

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Andhra Pradesh