The Telangana state government is planning to set up a Medical Advisory Board (MAB) comprising medical specialists, leading doctors and key officials from the healthcare department in the state. The objective of this board is to advise the state government in matters related to strengthening of medical and healthcare infrastructure in the state.

In an interaction with leading doctors in the state, the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, has asked the healthcare entrepreneurs to set up more health cities in Hyderabad and has also pitched for setting up of medical devices manufacturing industry in the state.

At present, more than 90 per cent of surgical devices and medical equipments like alim-louis benabid, brain pacemaker, cardiac pacemaker, cervical pessary, cochlear implant, cranial electrotherapy stimulation, deep brain stimulation, defibrillation, Dr Young's Ideal rectal dilators, electroceuticals, eyerinator, stents etc are imported from other countries.

Going in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ programme, the TS CM has showed interest in setting up a medical devices manufacturing unit in the state. As part of this, the chief minister held a meeting with senior doctors of the state like Dr Soma Raju, CMD of Care Hospital, Dr Kishan Raju and Dr Krishna Reddy, senior cardiologist at Care Hospital and others to seek their advice to establish a strong healthcare infrastructure in the city. “We are seeking advice of leading personalities in the healthcare sector to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure in the state. As part of this we are planning to set up a Medical Advisory Board to advise the government on various aspects related to healthcare infrastructure and services,” said the CM at the meeting.

The CM also assured the doctors’ community and healthcare entrepreneurs that the state government will support investors in the areas of manufacture of medical devices. He also stressed on improving healthcare services and stressed that poor patients in the rural areas must benefit from advanced technologies like telemedicine.

In line with Tamil Nadu model, the CM has owed to implement an effective medical and healthcare policy in the state. As part of this, the state government is also planning to connect leading hospitals in the state with district hospitals and primary healthcare centers in villages for providing high quality healthcare facilities at low cost to the rural poor.