An operation theatre was inaugurated at the Araku area hospital by Collector A. Mallikarjuna on Thursday.
Speaking at the inauguration, Mr. Mallikarjuna said that comprehensive measures are being taken to boost medical infrastructure in the Agency areas of the district.
“Operation theatres have been provided at Paderu district hospital, Araku area hospital and the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Chintapalli, and special grants of ₹20 lakh, ₹15 lakh and ₹5 lakh were sanctioned to them respectively. The State government has appointed nine specialist doctors for the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam. It has sanctioned ₹1.5 crore to the Paderu district hospital, and ₹90 lakh for the Araku area hospital for provision of infrastructure and equipment,” the Collector said, adding that three surgeries would be done at the Araku hospital on Thursday.
Mr. Mallikarjuna said that all kinds of surgeries would be done at these hospitals, based on the need. Gyanaecologists and anaesthetists were being sent to these hospitals on deputation. On the initiation of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Project Officer Ronanki Gopalakrishna, mega medical camps were being organisd in the Agency areas once in 15 days, the Collector said.
Araku MLA Chetti Phalguna appealed to people in the constituency to use the facilities being provided at the hospital. The operation theatre would be useful for people of Araku Valley, Dumbriguda and Anantagiri mandals. It would save the tribal people the trouble of going all the way to Visakhapatnam for surgeries, the MLA said..
Additional District Medical and Health Officer Leela Prasad, local tahsildar, MPDO, engineering officials, and medical officers of the hospital participated in the programme.
Tribal science exhibition
The Collector also visited the tribal science exhibition being organised at Talarisinghi Tribal Ashram School at Paderu. The exhibition would help promote a scientific temper among students, he said.
Participating as chief guest at the Girijana Vigyana Sambaralu–2021, organised at the school on Thursday, Mr. Mallikarjuna said that the science festival would also help in promoting traditional sports and culture.
Mr. Gopalakrishna said the festival would help in bringing out the latent talent among tribal students. A total of 426 models were on display at the expo. These include 90 each in mathematics and English, 80 in physical science, 96 in biological science and 70 models in social studies. Competitions in archery, volleyball, kho kho, Kabbadi, athletics and archery were being held as part of the festival.
Zilla Parishad Chairperson J. Subhadra and Director of Tribal Welfare V. China Veerabhadrudu spoke.
Earlier, portraits of B.R. Ambedkar, revolutionary freedom fighter Alluri Seetharama Raju and mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan were garlanded by the guests.
Sub-Collector V. Abhishek, Deputy Director of Tribal Welfare G. Vijay Kumar, DEO L. Chandrakala and Agency DEO Ramesh Babu participated.
