Hyderabad: Ramagundam MLA Raj Thakur told the Assembly that people in the Ramagundam coal belt lacked access to full-scale medical care and sought higher budget allocation for healthcare.
Speaking during Assembly proceedings on Tuesday, Raj Thakur said one government hospital could not serve a population of nearly three lakh. As a result, patients continued to face serious difficulties due to overcrowding and limited facilities.
He pointed out that the government was constructing a new hospital at a cost of ₹140 crore. However, delays by the contractor slowed the work. Therefore, he urged the government to ensure immediate completion of the project.
He also stressed the need to maintain uninterrupted medicine supply at the existing government hospital. According to him, nearly 2,000 outpatients visited the hospital every day. Hence, authorities must keep essential medicines readily available.
Ramagundam healthcare facilities need Cath Lab launch and upgrades
The MLA urged Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka to inaugurate the Cath Lab built at a cost of ₹20 crore. He said the facility was vital for emergency cardiac care.
He explained that industrial pollution in the region had increased heart-related deaths. Therefore, he demanded the installation of advanced medical equipment to prevent avoidable fatalities.
Meanwhile, Raj Thakur said Singareni Collieries and NTPC were strengthening hospitals through CSR funds. He recalled that a medical college was built earlier using ₹500 crore from Singareni resources.
However, he said the college now required additional funding to upgrade infrastructure. Finally, he urged the Congress government to develop the region as a medical hub and ensure complete healthcare services for the coal belt population.