Kothagudem: The public healthcare sector in Kothagudem district has achieved a major milestone. Vaidya Vidhana Parishad hospitals have set a new record by appointing radiologists in all hospitals in the district’s agency area and providing advanced scanning services like Targeted Imaging for Fetal Anomalies (TIFFA) scans.
Gradual measures implemented by district officials to provide quality maternal and child healthcare services in remote and tribal areas are now yielding positive results.
The appointment of obstetricians in all major hospitals has already significantly improved maternity services in the agency area. As a result, the number of deliveries, cesarean surgeries, tubectomies, and other maternal care services performed each month has increased significantly.
Strengthening radiology services, thanks to efforts initiated during the BRS regime, has already resulted in the introduction of TIFFA scan facilities in hospitals in Bhadrachalam, Yellandu, Paloncha, and Manuguru. However, the shortage of radiologists in the Aswaraopet and Cherla areas remained a major challenge.
Although TIFFA scanning machines were purchased some time ago, the recent appointment of radiologists in the Aswaraopet and Cherla hospitals has addressed this shortage.
Although recruiting radiologists in rural and tribal areas is a challenging task, it is noteworthy that this challenge has been successfully overcome, making radiology services available in all six government hospitals in the district.
With the availability of TIFFA scanning facilities, pregnant women in rural areas can now access a full range of maternal healthcare services in their areas. District Coordinator of Hospital Services (DCHS) Dr. Ravi Babu explained that this helps in closely monitoring the development of the fetus’s organs and detecting any congenital abnormalities early.
This allows pregnant women to make timely and accurate medical decisions, increasing the safety of both mother and child. He said that apart from this, it eliminates the need for pregnant women to travel long distances, thereby saving both time and money.
