AMARAVATI: Public health got a major boost in the total outlay of state budget FY 2022-23. Compared to the previous financial year 2021-22, the government has increased health spending to 11.23 percent. This time a total of Rs 15,384.28 crore has been allocated for the health sector. While the budgetary allocation for National Health Mission (Urban and Rural) is Rs 2,462.03 and for YSR Arogyasri, Rs 2,000 crore has been allocated.

Revamping of YSR Arogyasri

Finance Minister Buganna Rajendranath said after the revamping of YSR Arogyasri by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, all procedures exceeding a cost of Rs 1,000 and above are being covered under the health care programme. Citing the National Family Health Survey, the Health Minister said the percentage of households in the state with a member covered by a health scheme or health insurance, has increased from 74.6% in 2019-20 to 91.27% in 2021-22.

Free COVID-19 medicine

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government had provided anti-Coronavirus medicine for free. The government has so far spent Rs 732.16 crores towards the treatment of 2,09,765 persons.

Bringing light in people’s lives

In addition to this, the YS Jagan government with an outlay of Rs 560 crore launched the ‘YSR Kanti Velugu’ scheme in 2019. Under this programme close to 5.6 crore people in the state were screened for eyesight problems. In the first two phases, schoolchildren were screened for eyesight-related problems. In the third phase, an age group of 60 years was examined for eye-related problems. As of date, eye tests done for 16,64,919 persons, 8.50 lakh people with eyesight problems were distributed, eyeglasses and eye surgeries were done for 1.55 lakh people.