The Health Minister of Telangana, T Harish Rao, announced that the government is well-prepared to handle health emergencies even bigger than the Coronavirus. He made this statement while speaking at the launch of the Amma Vodi Ambulance by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao at Necklace Roads in Hyderabad. The Health Minister expressed his happiness in introducing 466 state-of-the-art emergency vehicles all at once. Previously, Telangana had 316 ambulances, but now the number has increased to 466, ensuring better access to healthcare for the population. The Amma Vodi vehicle serves 4000 people per day, while the 108 vehicles serve 2,000 people.
Harish Rao also mentioned that CM KCR is implementing a program to establish 100-bed hospitals in each constituency of the state. This initiative has made around 50,000 beds available in government hospitals, thanks to the establishment of one medical college per district. Additionally, four TIMS (Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences) are under construction in different parts of the city.
The Minister highlighted the difference between Telangana and states ruled by Congress and BJP, stating that while there are scams in those states, Telangana focuses on implementing beneficial schemes for its citizens.
In terms of welfare for healthcare workers, Harish Rao announced that the government will pay for the cell phone bills of Asha workers. Moreover, newly appointed Asha workers in the Hyderabad area will be provided with smartphones. The average ambulance response time has also improved from 30 minutes to 15 minutes. The wages of employees working in the 108 emergency services will be increased in four different slabs.
