Hyderabad: The Telangana government plans to double the budget allocation for the healthcare and beef up public health delivery services, said a cabinet minister Friday.
Inaugurating the Indo-Global Healthcare Summit and Expo 2014 here, IT Minister K. Tarakarama Rao said the government had set a target of doubling the allocation from the present 2 percent.
He said the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government was determined to revamp the health sector in the newly created state as 85 percent of the state's population depended on it.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao was to inaugurate the event but in his absence his son-cum-IT minister opened it.
The minister pointed out that due to inadequate healthcare establishments in the region, people from interior areas travel around 200 km to reach Hyderabad for treatment.
He said the chief minister had announced that a super speciality hospital on the lines of Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) at Hyderabad will be set up in each district.
Primary health centres and area hospitals will also be established in every 'mandal' and 'taluqa' headquarters respectively.
He assured all support to private players coming forward to invest in the healthcare sector.
While stating that the government will encourage private investment, Rao stressed the need for regulation of the corporate sector to ensure minimum standards.
He said Telangana inherited good healthcare infrastructure from the erstwhile Hyderabad State.
"Hyderabad, thanks to its strategic location, has great growth potential. With the presence of world-class hospitals and being in the middle of South East Asia and the Middle East, it has the potential to become the hub of medical tourism in the region," he said.
Pointing out that Telangana contributes to one-third of the country's pharma production, Rao said the government planned to boost it up by promoting a Pharma City.
He said with its strengths in IT, pharma and healthcare, Hyderabad could become one of the top-notch destinations.
Jointly organised by the Indian Medical Association, the government of Telangana and Indus Foundation, the three-day summit is the first international conference to be held after the formation of Telangana state.
C.D. Arha, chairman of Indus Foundation, said about 4,000 heathcare experts from India and abroad were attending the summit, which will share innovative models of healthcare delivery.
S.B. Anumouli, president of the Indus Foundation in the US, said the event would help professionals, entrepreneurs, industry players, investors and global institutions to collaborate for taking advantage of the latest innvovation and advances.
