Hyderabad: Telangana health minister Damodar Raja Narasimha on Wednesday, October 21 hit back at the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) over remarks on Basti Dawakhanas.
In a statement, Narasimha said that the BRS is indulging mud slinging by raising issues regarding the Basti Dawakhanas. The health minister added that the Telangana government is providing medical services to approximately 45,000 patients every day.
“All types of medicines are available at the basti Dawakhanas, through diagnostic hubs, we are conducting 134 types of tests for patients visiting Basti Dawakhanas,” Narasimha added.
He further said that patients receive test reports in 24 hours; adding that improved medical services at Basti Dawakhanas, has reduced patients rush at Osmania General Hospital and the Gandhi Hospital. Attacking the BRS, Narasimha said, “It is unfortunate that public representatives, for political gain, are spreading false propaganda to erode trust in government hospitals.”
He alleged that by defaming the government healthcare facilities, the BRS wants to divert patients to private hospitals.
“Such conspiratorial actions cannot dampen the morale of our doctors and staff. Our efforts will continue to provide even better medical services to the public through Basti Dawakhanas,” he concluded.
BRS claim medicine shortage at Basti Dawakhanas
The health minister’s remark comes a day after the BRS visited Basti Dawakhanas in Hyderabad. The BRS leaders including working president KT Rama Rao and MLA T Harish Rao alleged shortage of medicines at the dawakhanas.
They also claimed that the staff appointed at the basti Dawakhanas hasn’t received salaries. During one such inspection in Secunderabad Cantonment’s Rasoolpura, leader Manne Krishank came across a patient who was allegedly given expired medicines at the Dawakhana.
“During our inspection, it was discovered that a patient was being provided medicines that had expired 3 months ago. This alarming incident highlights serious lapses in public health safety and failure of Congress Government to ensure quality control and timely monitoring of medicines supplied to urban health centres.” he stated in a post on X.
KTR accuses Congress for neglecting public health
Meanwhile, BRS working president KT Rama Rao visited the Ibrahim Nagar clinic under the Khairatabad constituency and criticised the Congress for neglecting public health and leaving the Basti Dawakhanas in poor condition.
He also pointed out that the staff at the clinics have not been paid for the past 4 months and stated that clinics are not maintaining an adequate supply of the 108 varieties of essential medicines.
He recalled that KCR had established 450 Basti Dawakhanas across Telangana and set up Telangana Diagnostic Centres to provide free medical tests to the public. “Under KCR’s leadership, we launched four TIMS (Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences) hospitals, each with 1,000 beds for the urban poor, and initiated the 2,000-bed NIMS expansion project. Our government completed 90 per cent of the work, but this government hasn’t even finished the remaining 10 per cent,” he remarked.
He demanded that the Congress government establish an additional 450 clinics to prove their sincerity towards the public and complete the pending works at TIMS hospitals at the earliest. “Otherwise, we will organise protests in front of the TIMS hospitals soon,” he warned.
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