Massive health plan to be implemented

Hyderabad, Jun 7 : Andhra Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Danam Nagender today said the state government would implement a massive health plan with an outlay of Rs 1,140 crore.As part of this plan, the state government had already created 180 new Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and 23 Community Health Centres (CHCs) while 354 community health and nutrition clusters were being carved out, he announced at a news conference here.He said the department had initiated a number of measures to strengthen the health delivery systems in the state, focussing on prevention of water, food and vector-borne diseases and effective management of other infectious diseases.He said instructions had been issued to all District Medical and Health Officers to activate the health machinery to monitor water and food quality in the state and take immediate corrective measures, wherever required. He said every gram panchayat had been given Rs 10,000 as part of NRHM grant for village health and sanitation committees and these committees had been instructed to chlorinate drinking water regularly and keep the drains clear and working.The Institute of Preventive Medicine was conducting regular testing of water in all rural and urban areas and was advising gram panchayats and municipalities on corrective measures, he said.The Minister said a major campaign would be launched in all malaria-endemic districts, especially in the ITDA areas of the state from July 20, to take up for intensive spraying, active surveillance and medical treatment of people suffering from fever.He said the government was in the process of filling 759 posts of staff nurses and 2,434 posts of doctors and all the doctors would be in place by end of July this year.He said the government would take stern action to terminate the services of doctors, who had been absent without leave for more than six months.(photo by RSJ Thomas)
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