AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launches the Jagananna Aarogya Suraksha

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has formally launched the Jagananna Aarogya Suraksha, saying this opens a new chapter in preventive care. This is the first of its kind programme not only in AP but in India, he said.

The Chief Minister assured the people that the health department would provide full treatment to patients till the cure of their ailments besides offering them free health diagnoses to all.

The camps will begin from Saturday across the state and run for 45 days. He said that apart from the district, divisional and mandal offices, village and ward secretariats also would be associated with it.

The programme would herald a new chapter in preventive health care as it would be implemented with confidence and courage, using the wide network of village clinics, he  said.

Explaining the family doctor concept and the network, Jagan Reddy said the two PHCs in every mandal will have two doctors each, who will alternately visit their designated villages in 104 vehicles to treat the patients in village clinics.

During the repeated visits, they would be acquainted with the medical history of the patients in all families, establishing themselves as family doctors.

The widespread network of the family doctor-run PHCs and village clinics will play a key role in making the Jagananha Arogya Suraksha successful, he said.

Jagan Mohan Reddy explained, "The patients would be treated in Aarogya Suraksha health camps by specialist doctors after identifying their health issues through seven types of diagnostic tests in the households and mapping the entire village."

"The patients, including those



undergoing dialysis and treatment for cancer, would be given medicines free of cost in these camps. Wherever necessary, further advanced medical tests would be conducted and patients would be guided on further treatment and sent to Aarogyasri network hospitals by hand-holding them at every step," he said.

With the increase of YSR Aarogyasri ailments and procedures to 2356 and the number of its network hospitals to 2200, people should also know how to avail the services freely. During the visits to households and in the Suraksha camps, Aarogyasri brochures would be distributed to the people to keep them well informed. Officials will also help people in downloading the related App, the chief minister said.

He said this programme would be held in five phases. In the first phase, teams consisting of volunteers, Gruha Saradhulu and people's representatives would begin visiting households in rural and urban areas for identifying the health issues of people and collecting the details.

In the second phase, health workers like ANMs, ASHA workers, CHOs and volunteers would visit the people and create awareness on downloading the Aarogyasri App and on efficiently making use of the scheme at various hospitals free of cost.

In the third phase, the identified people would be reminded to attend the Aarogya Suraksha camps, which would form into the fourth phase. In the fifth phase, the official teams who hand- hold them for periodical medical treatment would guide them.

In the Jagananna Aarogya Suraksha programme, teams of Indian Red Cross, AP Speciality Hospitals Association, Aarogyasri network hospitals and Indian Medical Association will also participate, the CM said.