Govt committed to provide quality healthcare: Minister

Hyderabad, Aug 17 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh government is committed to provide quality healthcare to the people, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare S Chandrasekhar said.

Participating in a discussion on 'Healthcare in new millennium-PR persective', organised by Hyderabad chapter of the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) in association with Wockhardt hospitals here today, he said the state government was providing healthcare in changing fronts and several new interventions had been initiated in this sector. Private participation was the major intervention, where the government was looking forward, he added.

Claiming that Andhra Pradesh government was the number one in Asia for providing best healthcare to the people, he said the Budget for health sector had been increased to Rs 2,726 crore in the current finanical year from the previous year's Rs 818 crore. The drug Budget had also increased to Rs 150 crore this year from Rs 21 crore in 1997-98.

The government had taken various measures to control the water-born diseases and all Public Health Centres (PHCs) were provided with doctors and sufficient other staff to provide health facilities to the rural people.

UNI