State govt spends big on healthcare for poor

Vijayawada: The state government has spent ₹8,600 crore for YSR Arogyasri scheme over the last four years with the average annual spending being around ₹2,200 crore. This was around ₹1,100 crore during the previous regime.The government rolled out family physician project through which the village level screening is done on weekly basis. Primary health centre staff is told to visit all villages under their area and screen patients for small and lifestyle disease. Subsequently, the medical officer will refer critical cases to district hospital or teaching hospital. Medicines will be given when physician visits homes.The government has stepped up efforts to improve Arogyasri services. “Expenditure under Arogyasri during the TDP rule from 2014 to 2019, was ₹5,177.38 crore. The highest annual expenditure during this period was ₹1,299.01 crore in 2018-2019. During the time of the YSRC government average annual spending is around ₹2200 crore, a nearly 100 percent increase,” said special secretary (health) to the chief minister, Dr M Harikrishna.He said chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has issued instructions to expand Arogyasri benefit to bring down healthcare cost.“We have spent ₹ 8,610 crore for Arogyasri scheme, surpassing the five-year expenditure of the previous government,” said Harikrishna.He said the government is committed to ensure quality services. The scheme now covers 3,257 medical procedures, including high-end treatments like bilateral cochlear implant surgery and cancer treatment without any ceiling limit.