Public health management will be focus of TS govt.: Harish Rao

The Telangana Government has decided to post public health professionals and IT personnel in all primary healthcare centres in urban and rural areas recognising the importance of preventive healthcare, said Health Minister T. Harish Rao on Thursday.

“Public health management has been recognised globally after the pandemic. Here in Telangana, we have good doctors, staff and infrastructure, but we have realised that there is a huge gap in the absence of public health personnel. Every hospital should have one,” he said in his address after inaugurating the 45-acre campus of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) Indian Institute of Public Health-Hyderabad (IIPH-H) at Rajendranagar.

Also read97 national awardee teachers for 2020 and 2021 write to President, PM to honour them in physical ceremony on September 5

The Minister pointed out that primary healthcare is the most important part of medical care as “prevention is better than cure” and while there are Asha workers in villages, the neglected urban health posts became prominent during COVID vaccination efforts.

“We do not have people analyse, assess and outreach during a disease outbreak for quick redressal system. Therefore, we have decided to recruit public health personnel in all the 630 PHCs,” he said.

Mr. Harish Rao pointed out that Telangana ranked third in the country in terms of healthcare after Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which has better public health management.

“Soon, every district will have a government hospital along with an RT-PCR lab and diagnostic lab. From five public hospitals, the number has increased to 15 since 2014. Medical seats too saw a rise from 850 to 1,600,” he said.

“We will make healthcare a five-tier system from the current three-tier, by strengthening screening at PHC levels to identify chronic diseases at an early stage,” he explained.

IIPH-Hyderabad will be a shot in the arm for healthcare in Telangana and Hyderabad, said the Minister and acknowledged the foresight of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in allotting the land as well as ₹10 crore donation before COVID.