House furore over 'Arogyasri'

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly plunged into a turmoil over the implementation of 'Arogyasri' Health Scheme during question hour on Thursday.

Raising the issue in the House, Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the Government was planning to benefit corporate hospitals through Arogyasri funds.

“Arogyasri scheme is meant to supplement the corporate hospitals fiancially rather than improving the health of the poor,” Naidu said and demanded a comprehensive debate on the issue.

“Since the condition of the government hospitals in the state is miserable, the Arogyasri scheme was introduced to benefit the poor to get corporate hospital facilities and favour such hospitals with the help of insurance companies,” he pointed out.The corporate hospitals were resorting to illegal means to get Arogyasri funds, he charged.

He urged the Government to provide better medical facilities in government hospitals and demanded action against corporate hospitals, which were asked to treat the poor under the Arogyasri scheme and were indulging in irregularities in the implementation of the scheme.

Replying to the Opposition charge, Chief Minister K Rosaiah said the government had allotted a lion's share of funds for medical and health sector in the 11th Five-year-Plan. The government would try to provide better health facilities to the poor and upgrade hospitals in rural areas by providing latest equipment, Rosaiah said.

Lok Satta member Jaiprakash Narayanan criticized the state government for encouraging corporate hospitals by referring Arogyasri cases to them.