india

Updated: Sep 19, 2019 16:46 IST

An expert committee for review of the health sector in Andhra Pradesh has suggested that there should be a ban on private practice by government doctors.

The 8-member committee is headed by former IAS officer K Sujatha Rao who had served as the Union health secretary. The panel said that the health sector in the state lacked “clarity and responsibility”, news agency PTI reported.

The committee was constituted by Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Though it recommended ban of private practice by government dcotors, the committee did bat for an increase in pay for them.

The panel suggested many steps to improve the health sector that included filling up the vacant posts for doctors in government hospitals across Andhra Pradesh.

Sujatha Rao said people don’t go to government hospitals because they lack basic facilities and infrastructure. She said that average of people going to government hospitals in the Andhra is way below the national average.

The chief minister’s office said that Jagan Reddy held a high-level meeting after the submission of the report.

Rao pointed out that the heath sector lacks clarity and proper review mechanisms. “There is a lot of conflict of interest,” she said.

Though the panel suggested over 100 measures to improve the situation, the focus was on three key steps. It said that there should be village clinics for every 1,000 people and a primary health centre for every 30,000. A health sub-centre for every 5,000 people was another measure suggested.

“There are over 1 crore people under 18 years old, the government’s focus should be on this segment,” Rao said.

The statement by the chief minister’s office said that he the health department to prepare a proposal for salary hike of doctors and hiring new ones.

Jagan Reddy said that more diseases would be brought under the Aarogya Sri health insurance scheme and from November 1 it would be extended to super-specialty hospitals in Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru.

A pilot project will be launched in West Godavari district January 1, 2020 and in the 12 remaining districts, the scheme would be enforced from April 1.

Health authorities have been told to pay Rs 5,000 to each patient who underwent surgery in hospitals during the recuperation period.