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Time of India
03-08-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Aarogyasri overhaul: 3 crore beneficiaries, coverage raised to Rs 10L
1 2 Hyderabad: In a major push to make healthcare more inclusive and accessible, the Telangana govt has significantly expanded the Aarogyasri scheme, both in terms of coverage and benefits. With fresh ration card distributions and long-pending hospital payments cleared, the health initiative is set to cover over three crore people. At the heart of this transformation is the automatic linkage of white ration cards to Aarogyasri eligibility. As more families receive these cards, they are instantly enrolled under the scheme, leading to a dramatic rise in beneficiaries. According to state officials, an additional 30 lakh people have been brought under the scheme's ambit in recent months, taking the total to over 93 lakh families. Arrears cleared You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad A key turning point was the govt's decision to clear ₹1,590 crore in arrears owed to private hospitals. This move, completed over the past 20 months, has restored confidence among private healthcare providers, many of whom had previously reduced their participation due to delayed payments. With this financial clarity, more hospitals are coming forward to rejoin the network. Over 100 private hospitals have expressed interest in being empanelled under Aarogyasri, boosting the scheme's capacity across the state. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Resmed AirSense 11 with flat 20% off ResMed Buy Now Undo Enhanced treatment cap The govt has also made critical upgrades to the benefits offered. The treatment cap has been increased from previous limits to ₹5 lakh–₹10 lakh, enabling coverage for high-cost treatments that were earlier inaccessible to many low-income families. In a first-of-its-kind review in a decade, health minister Damodar Raja Narasimha met with hospital administrators and revised treatment package rates by 22%, acknowledging rising costs and aiming to ensure better quality of care under the scheme. Broader reach Originally designed to cover 90 lakh white ration cards (supporting 28.4 million individuals), the scheme's expansion now supports over three crore people, thanks to the ongoing white ration card distribution drive. The integration process has become more seamless and transparent, eliminating bureaucratic hurdles for families seeking medical help, officials siad. Officials also report increased utilisation of Aarogyasri for chronic illnesses such as kidney diseases, thanks to the scheme's now broader and better-funded structure. The renewed Aarogyasri scheme, with deeper coverage, higher financial support, and better hospital participation, is emerging as a cornerstone of the state's public health infrastructure, officials added. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Hans India
02-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
40 died, 33 injured in Pashamylaram blast: Sigachi Industries
Hyderabad: Sigachi Industries said on Wednesday that the explosion at its facility at Pashamylaram in Sangareddy district resulted in the death of 40 people and left 33 injured. The company issued a brief statement, the first since the blast rocked the facility at Pashamyalaram industrial area in Sangareddy district on Monday. 'It is with anguish that we share details of the accident that occurred at the Sigachi Industries facility in Pashamylaram, Telangana, resulting in the loss of 40 valued team members and one that left over 33 injured,' it said in the statement. 'Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragic accident. Since the time of the accident, we have been coordinating the emergency response, family support, and extending cooperation with the investigation and compliance efforts,' it added. Sigachi Industries also stated that it is committed to an ex gratia compensation of Rs one crore to the families of the deceased, while those injured will receive full medical and rehabilitation support. 'As we await the results of the investigation, we would like to clarify that the accident was not caused by a reactor explosion at the plant, as mentioned in sections of the media. We will continue to send updates as we receive information from the investigations,' it said. The company also announced that the plant operations will remain temporarily suspended for approximately 90 days. Meanwhile, state Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha on Wednesday visited the accident site where the rescue operation continued for the third day. He stated that the condition of the injured undergoing treatment at various hospitals is stable. The minister said 11 people were still missing, and the rescue teams continued clearing the debris.
Hans India
02-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Telangana factory blast: 40 killed, 33 injured, says Sigachi Industries
Hyderabad: Sigachi Industries said on Wednesday that the blast at its facility at Pashamylaram in Telangana resulted in the death of 40 people and left 33 injured. The company issued a brief statement, the first since the blast rocked the facility at Pashamyalaram industrial area in Sangareddy district near Hyderabad on Monday. 'It is with anguish that we share details of the accident that occurred at the Sigachi Industries facility in Pashamylaram, Telangana, resulting in the loss of 40 valued team members and one that left over 33 injured,' it said. 'Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragic accident. Since the time of the accident, we have been coordinating the emergency response, family support, and extending cooperation with the investigation and compliance efforts,' reads the statement. Sigachi Industries also stated that it is committed to an ex gratia compensation of Rs one crore to the families of the deceased, while those injured will receive full medical and rehabilitation support. 'As we await the results of the investigation, we would like to clarify that the accident was not caused by a reactor explosion at the plant, as mentioned in sections of the media. We will continue to send updates as we receive information from the investigations,' it said. The company also announced that the plant operations will remain temporarily suspended for approximately 90 days. Meanwhile, state Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha on Wednesday visited the accident site where the rescue operation continued for the third day. He stated that the condition of the injured undergoing treatment at various hospitals is stable. The minister said 11 people were still missing, and the rescue teams continued clearing the debris. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud and AICC in-charge for Telangana Meenakshi Natrjan also visited the accident site and called on the injured at a hospital.
Yomiuri Shimbun
02-07-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Explosion at Pharmaceutical Factory in South India Kills at Least 36
At least 36 people were killed and dozens more injured in an explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in the southern Indian state of Telangana, state authorities said. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue workers continue to search the site following Monday's blast. Dozens of people remain missing. The blast occurred around 9 a.m. local time Monday at a plant in Pashamylaram, some 30 miles west of Hyderabad, the state capital. According to reports by local outlets, the explosion flattened a four-story building and threw workers hundreds of feet. More than 140 people were on-site when the explosion occurred, officials told reporters. The bodies were 'badly burnt and mutilated,' Telangana Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha told the Associated Press, and DNA tests were necessary to identify remains. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Photos from the scene show rubble heaped stories high. The Telangana state government and Sigachi Industries, the operator of the factory, are set to pay 10 million rupees, around $117,000, to family members of each of the deceased, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said in televised remarks. Injured workers are also set to receive compensation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on X and pledged an additional 200,000 rupees, around $2,300, to the families of the deceased. The Pashamylaram plant is one of Sigachi's three manufacturing units, according to company documentation. India is the third-largest pharmaceutical industry in the world by volume and the leading supplier of generic medicines and vaccines. Labor and human rights watchdogs have warned of inadequate safety measures and lax oversight in some Indian factories. In a 2020 report on human rights in India, the U.S. State Department found that health and safety inspection capacity was insufficient and enforcement often poor. Global union federation InustriALL said that some 235 workers died across 116 industrial accidents in India between May 2020 and June 2021, according to media accounts and reports by the group's affiliates. The Pashamylaram blast came after a series of industrial accidents in the country. An August explosion at a chemical plant in Atchutapuram, in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh, left 17 workers dead. In May 2024, two unrelated explosions at chemical factories in Mumbai and the eastern state of Chhattisgarh killed at least 11, according to news items published by Britain's Royal Society of Chemistry. The 1984 Bhopal disaster, the world's worst industrial accident, occurred when a leak at a pesticide plant exposed hundreds of thousands of people in the central Indian city of Bhopal to a highly toxic gas and left a death toll in the thousands.
Washington Post
01-07-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Explosion at pharmaceutical factory in south India kills at least 36
At least 36 people were killed and dozens more injured in an explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in the southern Indian state of Telangana, state authorities said. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue workers continue to search the site following Monday's blast. Dozens of people remain missing. The blast occurred around 9 a.m. local time Monday at a plant in Pashamylaram, some 30 miles west of Hyderabad, the state capital. According to reports by local outlets, the explosion flattened a 4-story building and threw workers hundreds of feet. More than 140 people were on-site when the explosion occurred, officials told reporters. The bodies were 'badly burnt and mutilated,' Telangana Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha told the AP, and DNA tests were necessary to identify remains. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Photos from the scene show rubble heaped stories high. The Telangana state government and Sigachi Industries, the operator of the factory, are set to pay 10 million rupees, around $117,000, to family members of each of the deceased, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said in televised remarks. Injured workers are also set to receive compensation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on X and pledged an additional 200,000 rupees, around $2,300, to the families of the deceased. The Pashamylaram plant is one of Sigachi's three manufacturing units, according to company documentation. India is the third-largest pharmaceutical industry in the world by volume and the leading supplier of generic medicines and vaccines. Labor and human rights watchdogs have warned of inadequate safety measures and lax oversight in some Indian factories. In a 2020 report on human rights in India, the U.S. State Department found that health and safety inspection capacity was insufficient and enforcement often poor. Global union federation InustriALL said that some 235 workers died across 116 industrial accidents in India between May 2020 and June 2021, according to media accounts and reports by the group's affiliates. The Pashamylaram blast came after a series of industrial accidents in the country. An August explosion at a chemical plant in Atchutapuram, in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh, left 17 workers dead. In May 2024, two unrelated explosions at chemical factories in Mumbai and the eastern state of Chhattisgarh killed at least 11, according to news items published by Britain's Royal Society of Chemistry. The 1984 Bhopal disaster, the world's worst industrial accident, occurred when a leak at a pesticide plant exposed hundreds of thousands of people in the central Indian city of Bhopal to a highly toxic gas and left a death toll in the thousands.
