- KR Bharat
- 2025-10-21
T. Harish Rao has strongly criticised the Telangana Government for what he describes as a “complete collapse” of key healthcare services, demanding the immediate release of unpaid salaries for staff at Basti Dawakhanas and the settlement of roughly ₹1,400 crore in arrears under the Aarogyasri scheme. During his visit to the Old Lingampalli Basti Dawakhana in the Serilingampally constituency, Harish Rao revealed that doctors, nurses and support staff there have not been paid for six months. He pointed out that only around 60 of the 110 types of free medicines are currently available, and key diagnostic reagents (such as for B12 and D3 tests) are missing, forcing patients to go outside.
He emphasised that the Basti Dawakhanas were originally launched under the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi government as a model for accessible urban public healthcare, with 450 centres across the state (350 in Hyderabad alone). Under that scheme, patients received 110 medicines and 130 types of tests free of cost. Harish Rao accused the current regime of rapidly dismantling these services by not paying staff and by neglecting supplies.
On the Aarogyasri front, he alleged that private hospitals empanelled under the scheme have not been reimbursed for services rendered — mounting to roughly ₹1,400 crore in pending dues. He warned that such delays are undermining the scheme’s viability and the ability of hospitals to continue offering free healthcare to below-poverty‐line citizens.
Harish Rao also lambasted the government’s priorities, claiming the administration is more focused on generating revenue (for example from liquor tenders) than strengthening basic healthcare infrastructure. He insisted on a three-point demand: immediate release of all pending salaries at Basti Dawakhanas, prompt payment of Aarogyasri dues, and restoration of the full suite of free medicines and diagnostics that were previously available.
