09-07-2025
Health min calls for reduction in C-sections in govt hospitals
Vijayawada: Minister for medical, health and family welfare Y Satya Kumar Yadav urged secondary hospitals to reduce Cesarean operations and promote natural childbirths. He noted that 41 per cent of deliveries in these hospitals are C-sections and requested strategies to lower this rate and increase natural births.
At the launch of a four-day state-level training programme for district coordinators of health services (DCHSs) from 26 districts at the secondary health directorate office in Tadepalli on Tuesday, the minister called for reforms in DCHS operations.
He stressed the need for better leadership, accountability, and service delivery in public healthcare. The training aims to address issues identified during a recent review with DCHSs and district medical and health officers (DM&HOs) to improve service quality.
Satya Kumar encouraged district officials to lead teams and foster coordinated efforts for better healthcare. He also introduced a mobile application developed by the secondary health directorate to support this effort.
Addressing allegations of hospital corruption, the minister stated that corruption will not be tolerated. He directed DCHSs to ensure transparency, take responsibility, and compete to improve medical service quality.
He added that field visits are crucial to identify hospital and healthcare system issues. He emphasised punctuality in hospitals, warning that doctors who fail to comply will face strict action.
Satya Kumar described health as the foundation of economic progress and urged a committed approach to achieving Viksit Bharat and Swarnandhra Pradesh goals. He instructed DCHSs to strengthen NTR health services in secondary hospitals and increase pre-authorisations under the scheme.
The minister detailed infrastructure upgrades, including ultrasound services in 90 hospitals, 149 X-ray machines installed, tele-radiology services in 89 hospitals, 20 new dialysis centers, and 13 Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHLs) offering 139 diagnostic tests since the NDA government took office.
Over 15,000 doctors serve in the public health sector, including DMHOs, DCHSs, and state-level officers. The minister urged them to develop leadership skills for efficient administrative management. He reported an increase in secondary hospital attendance from 60 per cent to 84 per cent, aiming for 95 per cent. Of 12,779 sanctioned posts in 242 secondary hospitals, 1,803 are vacant, though 462 doctors were filled in the past year.
