PNS|Vijayawada
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Tuesday conducted a comprehensive review of primary healthcare centres (PHCs) and secondary hospitals across the state, with a sharp focus on the performance disparities between regions.
The review revealed that Krishna, Vizianagaram, and Prakasam districts are performing well in delivering healthcare services, while districts in the Rayalaseema region, particularly Anantapur, are significantly lagging. Expressing strong dissatisfaction, the Minister pulled up district medical and health officers (DMHOs) and district health service coordinators (DHSs) in the underperforming areas and instructed them to take immediate corrective measures.
Minister Yadav pointed out that while PHCs in rural areas have shown improvement, secondary hospitals in Rayalaseema are falling short of their targets. He raised concern over the low percentage of surgeries recorded under the Dr NTR health services in the YSR district—just 3%—and noted that overall, less than 25% of treatments in Rayalaseema were being conducted under the NTR scheme.
Addressing complaints of corruption in district offices, the Minister called for stringent action to root out bribery and ensure transparency. He instructed medical officers to uphold merit-based recruitment and to eliminate the practice of collecting money from candidates during appointments. He also emphasised the need for enhanced training for district health officers to strengthen their administrative capabilities and reduce over-reliance on subordinate staff.
The Minister expressed concern over the prolonged tenure of some administrative staff, which he said was contributing to irregularities. He directed that such staff be transferred every three years to maintain accountability. He also called for a system to monitor officers’ conduct and take pre-emptive action against potential malpractice.
Finally, Minister Yadav urged health officials to provide regular updates on field visits and to ensure the public is informed about the positive work being done in government hospitals, to counter negative media narratives.
