Telangana Government Boosting Public Health Infrastructure To Deal With Emergencies Like COVID: Chief Minister

Hyderabad: The Telangana government is strengthening the health department by increasing budget allocations to improve public health and to effectively deal with emergencies like Covid-19 should they arise, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said on Wednesday (June 14). Speaking after laying the foundation for a new block in the state-run Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) here, he said the allocation for health sector in the budget was Rs 2,100 crore in 2014, while it was over Rs 12,360 crore in 2023-24.

Also Read: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Visits PGI Satellite Centre And Commends Its World-Class Healthcare Services

Recalling his interaction with a group of entomologists a few years ago, the CM quoted them as having told him that infectious diseases like COVID-19 may surface again in the future.

They told me that losses would be minimal where health systems are strong. Many people would die and the losses would be heavy where the health system is weak. We can understand the importance of the health department from this. Since then, we are strengthening this department by substantially increasing the budget allocation after holding extensive discussions with health minister and department officials to make the health department meet any emergency or any kind of eventuality, he said.

CM Rao, who launched distribution of nutrition kits to prevent malnutrition and anaemia in pregnant women on the occasion, said the programme is aimed at avoiding stunted growth among children.

He said officials of the health department and the major state-run hospitals should plan for strengthening and expanding the health services.

The Chief Minister also said political leaders, media and others often find fault with the health department over the services rendered in hospitals. He asked Health Minister T Harish Rao and officials to improve the department’s public relations as it would make people fully aware of its services. He also urged the health officials to continue their services to people with proper commitment.

Also Read: G20 Delegates Visit Bharat Biotech’s Genome Valley plant, Term It Shining Star

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – theLGBTQ population,indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the currentCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,SanitationandHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fightmalnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health,adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues likeair pollution,waste management,plastic ban,manual scavengingand sanitation workers andmenstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India wheretoiletsare used andopen defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched byPrime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.