Andhra Pradesh doing well in containing COVID-19 as compared to national average, says Jagan Mohan Reddy

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], May 29 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that the state is doing well in containing COVID-19 as compared to the national average.
Stating that Andhra Pradesh government has taken long prance to bring quality medicare within the reach of poor and has built infrastructure from rural level upwards, Jagan Mohn Reddy said the State has been doing exceptionally well in containing COVID-19 vis-a-vis national average.
"The rural health care will take a big leap with the setting up of YSR Clinics in every village, and creating 9,712 jobs from doctors to nurses and paramedics with IPHS (Indian Public Health Standards) guidelines besides flagging off a fleet of 1,060 104 and 108 ambulance vehicles on July 1 which are some of the measures we are adding up to the healthcare system," Jagan Mohan Reddy said during the Brainstorming session (Our Governance Your Suggestion) on Medical and Health here today.
"On the COVID-19 front our State has fared well. With just two testing labs, in 70 days, we have increased the strength to 13 labs taking the number of tests per day from 10,000 to 11,000. The total tests taken so far account for 3.42 lakh as of now and we are better than the national average in terms of positive cases, recovery rate and causality rate," he said.
"We have five dedicated COVID hospitals and in districts 65 hospitals dedicated for Corona patients. We have 38,000 isolation beds, 15,000 equipped with oxygen supply, 5,400 ICU beds of which 1,350 have ventilator facility. About 24,000 doctors and 22,500 paramedical staff are working," the chief minister said adding "We have to accept that we have to live with Corona as it is not going to exit early and as it can come to anybody, we should not attach stigma to it."
The Chief Minister said, "During my padayatra, many people have complained about the poor health facilities and how Aarogyasri scheme was being watered down and how healthcare has been pushing people into debts. Aarogyasri is made available to people with an income of less than Rs five lakh per annum benefiting 1.42 crore people and covering over 2,000 ailments, including cancer and cochlear implant for deaf and dumb. The facility was extended to 132 super-speciality hospitals in Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru."
He said, "The previous government has not cleared medical dues of Rs 686 cores and we have cleared them and made everything up to date. The medicines being supplied in Government hospitals are of WHO and GMP standards while during previous government we have seen rats eating away newly born babies and surgeries being carried out by cell phone lights."
"We have graded the hospitals and asked them to improve the infrastructure to reach the higher grade as their bills are being paid on time. YSR Aarogya Asara provides Rs 5,000 per month pension for a period one is advised to undergo rest by doctor post-surgery under YSR Aarogyasri."
For people suffering with chronic ailments, pension is being paid ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000 and the amount is being door delivered by village volunteers.
"We are also issuing YSR Aarogya Card with QR coding, which has the medical history of the patient, who need not take his full reports every time he visits the doctor. Of the 1.42 lakh eligible people we have distributed 1.33 lakh cards and the rest will be given in two weeks' time," the chief minister said.
"Under YSR Kanti Velugu was started with a budget of about Rs 560 cores. About 70 lakh students were screened for visual impairment and spectacles were supplied to 1.29 lakh students. Surgeries would be done to 46,000 students in the coming days. In the next phase screening would be done to old people and physically challenged persons," he said.
Jagan Mohan Reddy said, "Nadu Nedu is the other revolutionary step we have taken up to revamp, the hospitals in the coming three years. The State will have 16 new teaching hospitals along with seven super specialty hospitals in tribal areas. Rs 16,000 crores would be spent on public health. The YSR Village Clinics will function round the clock."
"YSR Telemedicine is the new initiative under which if a patient gives a missed call to 14410 the doctor will come on line and give the prescription. The medicines will be door delivered," he added.