Telangana: Many challenges await new Health Minister

Hyderabad: From long-pending issues to ongoing development activities in the Department of Medical and Public Health, many challenges await T Harish Rao, who has been given the additional charge of the ministry.

Despite his appointment coming at the endemic stage of Covid in the State, prevention of the deadly virus spread and providing ex-gratia to the next of kin of the deceased is a challenging task, as the government has been widely criticised by the Opposition for alleged underplaying in disclosing Covid positive cases and deaths in the State since the virus outbreak.

The Opposition parties have been claiming that the actual count of Covid deaths in the State would come out after ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 is announced to the kin of the dead. In this regard, dealing with such incidents, where, if the count of the applications for ex-gratia amount is higher, than the actual count of deaths which the government is placing in the public domine, is a big task that Rao will have to face. For the establishment of eight medical colleges in the State, which would start academic functions from 2022, all parameters for approvals need to be satisfied with the Central inspection team, which is scheduled to visit the State in December. Amenities, infrastructure, medical equipment and teaching staff need to be fulfilled. Apart from the new medical colleges, the government has proposed to construct eight new district hospitals in the State and the construction of state-run diagnostic centres' work need the attention of the new minister.

The wreaked infrastructure—which is hurting duty doctors, and lack of medical equipment, which is forcing the poor to opt for private hospitals being witnessed at the prominent and common man's primary choice hospitals like Osmania, Gandhi, NIMS need to be addressed by Rao.

Reducing the burden on the State-run hospitals and teaching hospitals, the government had proposed to establish Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS), on a par with facilities at AIIMS, in Hyderabad. Recently land acquisition for TIMS turned out to be a headache for the government. This needs to be addressed by the new minister who is also handling Finance ministry. Fulfilling all the public requirements is a challenging task for Rao.