Special Chief Secretary (Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education) M.T. Krishna Babu has instructed the tertiary care hospitals in Andhra Pradesh to make their outpatient services available until 2 p.m. every day, adding that the doctors must be available at the hospitals from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. without fail.
Mr. Krishna Babu was speaking at the valedictory of the Administrative Training Programme for principals, superintendents and administrators organised by the Health Department in Vijayawada on May 11 (Thursday).
He said the first step to providing better healthcare services is the availability of doctors at the healthcare facilities. Every employee and doctor should be present in the hospital for a minimum period. Superintendents and principals should ensure this by conducting inspections frequently, he said.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mangalagiri, which collects fees, provides better healthcare services while State hospitals are not able to give the best even as the services are offered free of cost, he said.
“The State government is planning to replicate the healthcare system being followed by the AIIMS,” said Mr. Krishna Babu.
He said the superintendents should collect feedback from patients and ensure their issues are taken care of. He asked the unit heads to fill up all the vacant posts in their respective hospitals.
