Minister Pemmasani hands over ventilators to Guntur govt hospital
On the occasion, the Union Minister thanked the donors for donating six neonatal ventilators, four mobile ventilators, beds and air conditioners to the hospital.
He said industrialist Tulasi Ramachandra Prabhu has undertaken the responsibility of constructing a service block at the GGH and setting up of an eye clinic, because he has confidence in the coalition government.
Later, he along with Mayor Kovelamudi Ravindra, Andhra Saraswatha Parishath president Dr Ghajal Srinivas released the posters relating to the 3rd World Telugu Maha Sabhas to be held in Amaravati in 2026, at a programme held under the aegis of Andhra Saraswatha Parishath at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Speaking on this occasion, Dr Pemmasani Chandrashekar said, he will try to develop Telugu language. He said ' Compared to other languages, Telugu language is sweet.' He responded positively to invite the Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to the 3rd World Telugu Maha Sabhas.
Andhra Saraswatha Parishath president Dr Ghajal Srinivas said, they will conduct the 3rd World Telugu Maha Sabhas in a grand way to explain greatness, significance of Telugu language and Telugu literature.
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Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
Chandrababu to visit Paderu today
Amaravati: In sync with the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples being observed under the aegis of the United Nations on Saturday, spotlighting this year's theme 'Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures'; the new coalition government in Andhra Pradesh has opened a new chapter for tribal welfare, including a slew of developmental projects and initiatives. In this context, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu is set to visit Paderu on Saturday. The state government is organising a major event in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district to commemorate it. The Chief Minister will begin his sojourn by visiting the Modakondamma temple, after which he will participate in local tribal traditional ceremonies. He will also visit the homes of some tribals to better understand their lives and challenges firsthand. Following this, he will hold discussions with coffee plantation growers and participate in a public meeting at Lagisapalle. Thereafter, the Chief Minister will lay the foundation stone for many a development projects and oversee the signing of MoUs for launch of tribal area projects. He is also scheduled to interact with party members. The state government is accelerating road construction projects to connect remote tribal areas with major hubs. Over the next five years, the state will spend Rs 2,404 crore to connect more than 2,075 tribal villages and habitations with new roads and bridges. A road corridor project in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district alone will cost Rs 41 crore. As for healthcare, the state government has allocated Rs 50 crore each for the construction of multi-specialty hospitals in Sitampeta, Parvathipuram, Rampachodavaram, KR Puram, and Srisailam ITDA areas. The Community Health Centre in ITDA Chintoor is being upgraded from a 50-bed to a 100-bed facility. The construction of a medical college in Paderu is also progressing rapidly. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the government has initiated projects worth Rs 2,373 crore to supply drinking water to 13,816 habitations in tribal areas. The goal is to complete these works by 2026. To enhance employment opportunities, study circles have been established in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Tirupati to help tribal youth prepare for competitive exams like the DSC. The government is also spending Rs 150 crore to convert over 520 residential school buildings into hostels. The coalition government has prioritised tribal welfare, allocating Rs 7,557 crore under the Scheduled Tribe Component for the fiscal year of 2024-25. It has so far provided 200 units of free electricity per month to 4.82 lakh tribal families and is working on a plan to install solar rooftop panels. Currently, the government spends Rs 1,595 crore annually on NTR Bharosa pensions for 3,77,051 tribal beneficiaries. Additionally, it has deposited Rs 642 crore into the accounts of mothers of 4,86,803 tribal students under the Thalliki Vandanam scheme. The government launched 'Mission-2047' to eradicate sickle cell anemia, providing a pension of Rs 10,000 per month to 1,487 identified patients. Efforts are underway to boost tribal farmers' income through natural farming and encourage the cultivation of alternative crops to replace cannabis cultivation.
The Print
4 hours ago
- The Print
Empanelled hospitals not participating in IMA's call for Ayushman services suspension: Haryana govt
In Haryana, the IMA represents nearly 650 private hospitals empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), a flagship scheme of the Modi government that provides a health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care. The Haryana chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday announced the suspension of Ayushman Bharat scheme services in the state over the issue of pending dues of empanelled hospitals despite an assurance from the state government to release the payments at the earliest. Chandigarh, Aug 8 (PTI) A day after Haryana chapter of the Indian Medical Association announced the suspension of Ayushman Bharat scheme services, a government statement on Friday claimed that several empanelled hospitals have conveyed that they are not participating in the IMA's call. A state government statement here on Friday said that the State Health Authority (SHA) Haryana has informed that pre-authorization claims amounting to Rs 2.5 crore were received from empanelled private hospitals across all districts of the state on August 7. 'In addition, several empanelled hospitals have conveyed that they are not participating in the Indian Medical Association's call to withdraw services under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY),' the statement said. It said payments of the private empanelled hospitals up to the first week of May 2025 have been cleared. The State Health Authority (SHA), Haryana remains in regular contact with all empanelled hospitals through District Implementation Units and other channels, it said. Empanelled hospitals across Haryana have been reassured that all pending payments will be cleared at the earliest. The SHA affirms that all payments to empanelled hospitals are being processed and released in accordance with the FIFO (First-In-First-Out) methodology. All pending dues will be cleared in a timely and systematic manner, it asid. 'SHA Haryana has not received any grievances related to refusal of treatment to any Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries across any grievance portals, including the 'CM Window' and 'Jan Samvad portals', social media platforms/SMGT portal, CPGRAMs and CGRMS portals managed by the Government of India or through emails or other channels,' the government statement further said. It said the SHA maintains that there is no valid reason for the withdrawal or disruption of services as all demands/issues have been addressed effectively. 'Any complaints or grievances regarding denial of treatment or imposition of charges on Ayushman beneficiaries will be dealt with strictly as per the guidelines issued by the National Health Authority (NHA) and the SHA,' it said. The authorities have also considered and addressed several genuine demands from the IMA and empanelled hospitals, including the inclusion of IMA and hospital representatives in the State Empanelment Committee, State Grievance Redressal Committee and District Grievance Redressal Committees, it said. The SHA remains committed to ensuring the smooth functioning of the scheme and safeguarding the welfare of all beneficiaries. Notably, the Haryana chapter of IMA had earlier warned that the private hospitals would stop treatment under the scheme from August 7 if pending dues were not cleared. After talks with IMA representatives on Wednesday, Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Haryana, Sudhir Rajpal had appealed to them to reconsider their decision. IMA's Haryana secretary Dhirender K Soni said on Thursday that the state government has failed to clear the reimbursement of private hospitals. 'The government itself admits that Rs 490 crore in dues are pending. By the time they will disperse this amount, the pendency will keep on increasing,' Soni had said. Soni had said that talks were held on Wednesday with senior state government officials, but it did not yield the desired outcome. After the meeting, the Haryana chapter of IMA held a virtual meeting with the private empanelled hospitals under the Ayushman scheme and later it was decided to suspend the services from midnight (beginning August 7), he said. Earlier on Tuesday, the Haryana government had said that the claims of empanelled hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat scheme are being settled. During the financial year 2025-26, up to July 16, Rs 240.63 crore has been received from the state and central governments and fully utilised for the settlement of eligible claims, the state government had maintained. PTI SUN NB NB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
In death, a prescription for 50 years of kindness and care by Kannur's ‘two-rupee doctor'
In May 2024, a handwritten note in Malayalam was hung on the iron gates of a house in Kannur's Thana locality: 'I am not well enough to do my job today… So, (I am) stopping examining patients and giving them medicine.' Till the note was widely shared on social media in 2024, Dr Rairu Gopal remained Kannur's best-kept secret for 50 years. Since he started his career in 1974, this Kannur-based general physician continued to charge his patients just Rs 2 for a consultation — an act that earned him the moniker of the 'two-rupee doctor'. Though consultation fees across the country rose to three and even four digits over the years, Dr Gopal never hiked his fee. On August 2, Kannur's 'two-rupee doctor' breathed his last. As tributes poured in for the city's unsung doctor, who had looked after its health for five decades, so did his life's story. His son Balagopal, also a doctor, said his grandfather, A Gopalan Nambiar, who hailed from Kannur's Mavilayi, was a doctor with the Colonial-era Madras Medical Service. Dr Balagopal says, 'My father was guided by his father's (Dr Nambiar) advice that the medical profession should not be used to make money. He was told that if he wanted to make money, he should choose another profession.'' Having studied in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Dr Gopal graduated from the Government Medical College in Kozhikode in the early 1970s. 'He got admission to an engineering course, but opted for the MBBS programme because it was his dream,'' says his son. After completing his MBBS, Dr Gopal worked at a local co-operative hospital in Kannur. He also attended patients at the West Coast Nursing Home, which was established by his father in the city's Burnassery locality. A few years later, Dr Gopal started his own clinic — the beginning of his journey as the 'two-rupee doctor' in the north Kerala town. Inside his house, then in the city's Talap locality, Dr Gopal opened a two-room pharmacy-cum-clinic. His wife, Dr Shakunthala, joined the clinic but had a separate consultation facility. 'The consultation fee back then was usually Rs 2, a good amount back then. With a decade into the profession, my father had a settled life with a house in the city. He never wanted to hike his fee due to his concern for the underprivileged. He felt the consultation fee of Rs 2 and a meagre profit from the sale of medicines was enough to run the family. That may be why he never felt the need to hike his consultation charges,' says Dr Balagopal. Unlike many doctors, Dr Gopal kept rather unusual hours. 'He would wake up quite early, and open the clinic between 3 am and 4 am. He would see patients till 2 pm and prescribe only generic medicines,' adds Dr Balagopal. Dr Gopal's patients often came from distant places like Vadakara, nearly 45 km from Kannur, and Kasaragod, over 90 km away. His clinic's timings were a hit with the daily-wage labourers, who could consult a doctor without losing a day's pay. Despite a footfall of nearly 300 patients daily, Dr Gopal never dreamed of working at a hospital. 'Since he loved working independently, he never accepted any offers from hospitals or corporate health centres. Nor did he have any plans to expand his clinic. He loved his two-room clinic at the Talap house. Other than a facility for performing minor procedures, he did not have a laboratory at home,' says Dr Balagopal, adding that his father ran that clinic for 35 years with two staff members. At Talap, he said his father kept two cows to meet the family's dairy needs. Till age caught up with him, Dr Gopal continued to rear cows and distribute milk in the neighbourhood. Though his wife Shakunthala retired 15 years ago, Dr Gopal continued to see patients. Then, a decade ago, he moved to a new house in the city's Thana locality. In Thana, he downsized to a single-room clinic that he ran without a pharmacist. To a question on keeping his father's legacy alive, Dr Balagopal, who works with a hospital, apart from running his own clinic in Kannur, says, 'I ensure that I prescribe my patients only the medicines and lab investigations they require.'
