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AP Govt Withdraws NTR Vaidya Seva Cover For Poor:- The NTR Vaidya Seva for poor patients has been withdrawn by the AP Government. The medical treatment in Hyderabad hospitals is availed by the poor patients through this seva.

But, the AP government is continuing to provide treatment for legislators, Legislative Council members and the government employees instead of the poor patients in Hyderabad hospitals. One among them is the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences.

NIMS Medical Superintendent N. Satyanarayana said, “We are not rendering services to below-poverty line (BPL) patients as the AP government stopped NTR Vaidya Seva in Hyderabad hospitals. The VIP ward is continuing to cater to MLAs, ex-MLAs and MLCs from Andhra Pradesh.” The NTR Vaidya Seva is the AP version of the previous Arogyasri scheme.

Satyanarayana said the hospital had not received any orders to stop services to the AP VIPs and government employees. Moreover, the AP Legislative department reimburses the medical bills of the AP legislators. An estimation of 12 lakh people, with BPL cards, who are covered by NTR Vaidya Seva, live in Hyderabad. They, and the beneficiaries in AP, are deprived of treatment in Hyderabad hospitals.

When asked about this, AP Legislature Special Secretary P.P.K. Ramacharyulu said, “MLAs and former MLAs pay their bills when they get treated in Hyderabad hospitals and the Legislative Secretariat reimburses them. We have been receiving several bills from Hyderabad hospitals including Nims. The reimbursement is entirely different from NTR Vaidya Seva for BPL families and for state government employees. We can’t compare them.”

It is the same Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Trust that runs the scheme for BPL families, that clears the bill for treatment for law makers, following which the legislative department reimburses the money.

NTR Vaidya Seva Trust chief medical auditor Dr B.V. Satish Kumar said, “The AP government issued a GO to stop services in Hyderabad hospitals for BPL families. But the scheme has been continued for AP government employees.”

Under NTR Vaidya Seva and Arogya Raskha (above BPL) patients, a circular had been issued on August 9, to cover treatment for cancer (medical oncology, surgical oncology and radiation oncology) and pediatric cardiac surgeries (cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery for children of 18 years and below).

“We have asked hospitals in GHMC limits having these services to empanel with the trust.”

SUPRAJA