City-based doctors said that the growing number of government hospitals and the advanced equipment is putting them at par with private hospitals. Reminiscing the progress made by Telangana Government on the occasion of Formation Day, doctors said that the private hospitals in the city are witnessing a decrease in the inflow of patients from other districts as the government is setting up several hospitals in each district making healthcare more accessible to the rural population. Since its formation in 2014, the Telangana government has made significant strides in improving the health indicators of the state. The doctors highlighted the noteworthy decline in maternal mortality rate, infant mortality rate, and under-5 mortality rate.
Dr Satish Reddy, a Senior Neurologist in Jubilee hills said, “Previously, there were a lot of patients visiting private hospitals to access healthcare from across Telangana. But over the last few years, we are noticing a shift in those numbers. The number has certainly decreased and it is because of new hospitals coming up in the districts. Patients are also gaining trust over the government healthcare. It seems that almost 70 per cent of the births were in government hospitals last month.”
There are currently 868 Primary Health Centres equipped with 3,908 beds. Basti Dawakhanas and 4,745 sub-centres have further strengthened the primary healthcare infrastructure across the state.
Dr Latha, a Gynecologist at Sowmya MS Hospital said, “Women with minor issues in Uterus would come all the way over to Hyderabad from a remote village for a checkup because local government hospitals did not have the equipment to diagnose. Sometimes, this causes minor issues to become worrisome like cancers. But women now have access to basic care through Basti Dhawakhanas. We keep in touch with our patients and now ask them to visit their local hospitals for follow up. They may not be as sophisticated as the multi-specialty centres but they are able to ensure that a minor issue does not become a problem that requires advanced healthtech.”
While government hospitals are gaining recognition for their quality healthcare services, the doctors stressed the importance of transparency in the state’s healthcare system.
