SRIKAKULAM, DEC 14   :   Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday inaugurated the Rs 700 crore YSR Sujaladhara drinking water project at Makarapuram and the 200-bed Dr YSR Kidney Research and Super Speciality Hospital worth Rs. 85 crore at Palasa in Srikakulam district.

Addressing a huge public meeting after the inauguration at the Railway Grounds here, the Chief Minister said the Kidney Research and Super Speciality Hospital would be developed as a world class facility and nodal centre for the treatment of kidney-related ailments across the State.
He added that it would extend comprehensive and advanced medical care to kidney patients free of cost.

The hospital, having three blocks in four floors, is equipped with state-of-the art medical facilities including general medicine, nephrology, urology departments, dialysis wings, ICU wards, radio diagnosis, pathology, microbiology and biochemistry laboratories, post-surgery care, CT scan, Digital X-ray and holmium laser uro-dynamic machines.

The hospital would be developed as a kidney transplantation centre also in the days to come and the first kidney transplantation is likely to take place in February, Reddy announced.

The Chief Minister said that so far, 2,32,898 persons were tested at the screening centres in Kaviti, Kanchili, Palasa, Vajrapukotturu, Ichapuram, Sompeta and Mandasa Mandals and 19532 persons above the age of 25 years were found to have creatinine levels above normal.

All of them are being treated with free supply of medicines and patients are also undergoing dialysis at 69 dialysis centres, he said, adding that more dialysis facilities would come up soon while semi auto analysers have been established at 18 PHCs in rural areas, 5 PHCs in urban areas and at six community health centres.

The Government is also entering into MoU with Harvard Medical School and North Carolina University in running the super specialty hospital, Reddy said and added that soon Markapuram in Prakasam district also will have a super speciality hospital and kidney research centre with special Nephrology and Urology departments.

The Chief Minister said that the Government spent Rs. 700 crore on the Sujaladhara Project for bringing Vamsadhara surface water through pipelines from Hiramandalam reservoir to Uddanam.

The project would be extended to Pathapatnam constituency in second phase with a cost of Rs. 265 crore and the work will begin after Sankranti festival, he added.(UNI)