Hyderabad, Mar 14 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Minister for Finance, Medical and Health K Rosaiah today said for the first time in the country the state government is bearing the total expenditure for surgeries and other medical interventions to poor children suffering from heart ailments on a regular basis.

Making a statement when the issue was raised in the Assembly through a 304 mention, the Minister said the government acted fast after the problem came to its notice, through a rally in Hyderabad on August 7, 2004 and through two screening camps, and identified around 12,000 people who needed heart surgeries or interventions.

So far 6,000 were offered free surgery by the government and an amount of nearly Rs 13 crore was reimbursed to various corporate hospitals that performed the surgeries.

The Minister said there was no dearth of funds for the noble cause. Cutting across party lines, all members who took part in the debate under rule 304 congratulated the government.

Mr Rosaiah said children in need of urgent surgeries, were also being sent to other states by the government when treatment could not be offered in the state itself.

The Minister assured the members that government hospitals would be properly equipped and expert surgeons would be appointed. When the government offered UGC scales, surgeons who left government service and joined private hospitals started returning, he added.

Mr Rosaiah said the services of retired surgeons were also being utilised and that they were being paid Rs 40,000 a month besides their pensions.

NIMS and other major government hospitals were being strengthened further by providing equipments and more doctors and other staff.

The government had provided Rs 8 crore in the Budget for 2007-08 for saving the poor children.

UNI