Andhra to roll out Tata Trusts, Gates Foundation-supported Digital Nerve Centers

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh government is set to roll out Tata Trusts and Gates Foundation-supported Digital Nerve Centers to stay continually alert on public health.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the Medical and Health Department at the Secretariat. The review covered departmental performance, Tata Digital Nerve Center services, the construction of medical colleges, and related issues.

Conduct Wide-Ranging Medical Screenings

Tata Trusts and Gates Foundation-supported Digital Nerve Centers will help to stay continually alert on public health.

The State has already launched a Tata Digital Nerve Center as a pilot in Kuppam. The government will roll out these centers across the Chittoor district by January next year, and statewide by the end of the year.

"District- and state-level command control centers must be established for this. If these centers function effectively, we can deliver better healthcare to the poor. Their goal is to provide more care at a lower cost. Study how we can use technology to deliver quality care affordably and organize hackathons. By conducting as many medical screenings as possible, we can detect existing illnesses early. Testing people once every three months, six months, or annually can help prevent serious illness. Services at City Diagnostic Centers in cities like Tirupati, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam should be made accessible to the poor," said Naidu.

Policy intervention

Chief Minister said that the state’s focus must go beyond delivering better treatment, with policies implemented in a proactive way so that people do not fall ill in the first place. Starting with public food habits and extending to the use of organic produce, he directed officials to implement an actionable program.

Green Signal for 150 Posts

Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav requested the Chief Minister to fill vacant posts in the Directorate of the Institute of Preventive Medicine. Against a sanctioned strength of 723 posts, only 143 are currently active. The Chief Minister, therefore, directed officials to immediately begin the process to fill 150 posts in the first phase.

He also asked the Minister to resolve issues related to registration for students who have studied medicine abroad, and to clearly explain the steps being taken by the state government so that medical students understand the process.