Minister of Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education Vidadala Rajini promised government doctors that their issues such as pending arrears would be resolved soon. She said a committee would be set up to give time-bound promotions and added that the facial recognition-based attendance system would be relaxed. She was responding to a representation submitted at a Government Doctors’ Meet held at the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Guntur on Sunday.
Addressing the gathering earlier, Ms. Rajini said the credit of paying salaries as per the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission goes to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who surpassed his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in doing good to society, including the doctors whose role in saving lives during the COVID-19 pandemic was commendable. Their duty burden was reduced by taking up large-scale recruitment and the infrastructure in government hospitals and medical colleges has been vastly improved under the ‘Nadu-Nedu’ programme at a huge cost with due emphasis on primary healthcare.
Seventeen medical colleges were constructed at a cost of ₹8,500 crore and the facilities in 11 existing medical colleges were being augmented at an approximate cost of ₹3,820 crore. It was Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy who got UGC payscales implemented for the government doctors and brought laws for their protection, the Minister recalled.
Ms. Rajini went on to say that all posts in the government hospitals were being filled through the zero-vacancy system. In fact, the government set a record by filling a total 53,000 posts, a feat few States could achieve. Priority was given to recruiting doctors in tribal areas.
Development works costing about ₹17,000 crore were under way from the PHC level up to the teaching hospitals. Preventive medical care was being provided and schemes like YSR Aarogyasri and Jagananna Aarogya Suraksha were being implemented for the benefit of the poor, Ms. Rajini said, while promising to take steps for further development of the Guntur GGH, she said.
MLC Lella Appi Reddy, Guntur east MLA Mohammad Musthafa Shaik, Director of Secondary Health Services S. Venkateshwar, Director of Medical Education (Academic) T. Surya Sree, Director of Public Health S. Padmavathi, Guntur GGH superintendent Y. Kiran Kumar, Guntur Medical College (GMC) principal T.T.K. Reddy, AP Government Doctors’ Association president D. Jayadheer Babu, DMHO K. Vijaya Lakshmi and GMC Alumni of North America coordinator V. Bala Bhaskar and others were present.
