The Andhra Pradesh state government is contemplating plans to start generic medical stores in all government across 13 districts in the state.

To this effect, the state government is planning to revamp the entire healthcare system and wants to initiate wide reform in the health sector. While speaking about new reforms Kamineni Srinivas Rao, Health minister of AP said, “We are giving highest priority to the healthcare in AP. To supply medicines at low cost, we will soon begin generic medical stores at all the 133 government hospitals in the state.”

Expressing his concern over the continuing junior doctors’ strike in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Health minister said that even after the High Court had declared their strike as illegal, the doctors action is unwarranted and against the society. The doctors are responsible citizens and their profession doesn’t allow them to go on the strike. If they have any problems they need to resolve them through talks.

As part of the healthcare reforms, the state government is planning to rope in private players to bring health care in the reach of common man. To develop the government hospitals the state government is planning to take up projects under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

For this government is planning to constitute three member teams comprising gynaecologist, paediatrician and anaesthetist at all Public Health Centres (PHCs), Urban Health Centers and area hospitals to do feasibility studies and recommend modalities for reforms.

Among all the AP government is giving highest priority for supplying generic medicines to the poor patients and is planning to start more than 200 generic medical stores across the state. In place of existing Rajive Arogyasri cards, the AP government is planning to replace it with NTR health cards and every poor under the below poverty line will be eligible for the health cards.

About the junior doctors, the state government is planning to bring a new legislation to make it mandatory for the doctors to do compulsory rural service for two years. At present the doctors are entitled to do one year rural service, but they striking against the same and want the government to completely remove the rule of compulsory rural service.