Health Department is sick, says BJP

The Opposition BJP connected Thursday criticised Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao implicit the functioning of his department, alleging mediocre transportation of wellness services owed to shortage of medicines and doctors.

Seeking to determination an adjournment question successful the Legislative Assembly, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok remarked that “the Health Minister is healthy, but his section is sick”.

Senior BJP subordinate C.N. Ashwath Narayan described the concern successful the State arsenic a “medical emergency".

Mr. Ashok alleged that the shortage of medicines had caused wide problems crossed the State and claimed that the authorities was readying to adjacent 270 superior wellness centres (PHCs). He said doctors presently serving successful these PHCs would beryllium shifted elsewhere, starring to the lack of doctors and medicines successful villages.

He referred to a connection by the authorities doctors’ relation claiming that patients were not receiving medicines connected clip and that shortage of doctors and mediocre wellness services had led to clashes with patients.

However, Speaker U.T. Khader decided to person the adjournment question into a discussion.

Income bounds for PHH cards

The State authorities informed the Legislative Assembly that it would see revising the yearly income bounds utilized to place Priority Household (PHH) beneficiaries nether the National Food Security Act, which provides subsidised foodgrains.

The existent yearly household income bounds for PHH recognition was fixed astatine 1.2 lakh successful 2017.

Replying to Mr. Ashwath Narayan, Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao said that astir a decennary had passed since the bounds was fixed and that determination was a request to reappraisal it. He was responding connected behalf of Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.H. Muniyappa.

Earlier, Mr. Narayan argued that the income bounds should beryllium increased, peculiarly due to the fact that the outgo of surviving successful Bengaluru has risen significantly. Citing provisions of the Food Security Act, helium said 50% of the municipality colonisation and 75% of agrarian households should beryllium covered nether PHH oregon Antyodaya schemes. He claimed that galore eligible mediocre households, including car and taxi drivers, had been denied PHH cards.

Mr. Rao said PHH ration cards person been issued to 1.24 crore households successful the State, compared to 1.09 crore eligible families identified by the Centre. The 50% municipality sum nether the Act applies to the full state and not statewide. In agrarian areas, helium said, astir 95% of the households is already covered.

Mr. Rao further noted that respective ineligible families had obtained ration cards meant lone for nutrient distribution. However, radical were utilizing these cards to entree healthcare benefits, which had accrued the request for them.