Family Doctor: CM Reddy launches free doorstep medical care scheme in Andhra

The old and ailing in Andhra Pradesh will soon enjoy doorstep medical care, thanks to the new Family Doctor Scheme launched by the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government.

Chief Minister Reddy on Thursday (April 6) launched the scheme in which doctors from 10,032 Dr YSR Village Health Clinics will extend preventive healthcare to people at their doorsteps.

In addition to treating bedridden people, Family Doctors will also treat people suffering from both communicable and non-communicable diseases, lactating mothers, and anaemic people, for free, he said.

“Revolutionary change”

“Just like pensions are handed over at the doorstep, healthcare facilities will be extended to people at their homes,” Reddy said while unveiling the programme at Lingamguntla village in Palnadu district. He said the scheme would herald revolutionary changes in extending medical services to the needy.

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In the case of patients who need advanced treatment, family doctors will refer them to Aarogyasri network hospitals, while YSR Health Clinics will offer post-treatment care to these patients.

Reddy said the state had brought in revolutionary reforms in healthcare with one primary health centre (PHC) serving 2,500 people. The Family Doctor programme will soon transform Andhra Pradesh into a role model for other states in preventive healthcare, he added.

How it will work

According to the CM, each mandal would consist of two PHCs with two doctors each, one taking care of out-patients (OPs), while the other visits YSR Health Clinics in the assigned villages, schools, and Anganwadi centres twice a month.

As part of their job, they will identify people suffering from blood pressure or blood sugar anomalies or anaemic conditions to provide initial treatment for averting serious health conditions.

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Equipped with 105 kinds of medicines, labs to conduct 14 diagnostic tests, and 936 mobile medical units, the YSR Village Health Clinics will be manned by community health officers (CHOs), auxiliary nurses and midwives (ANMs), and ASHA workers.

Promising that the village secretariats will display the contact numbers and maintain the health records, Reddy said the services would be available round the clock. The medical staff will stay in the villages where they are employed.

(With agency inputs)