Naidu Announces ₹2.5 Lakh Health Cover Plan
: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the state will soon launch a universal health insurance policy providing medical services worth ₹2.5 lakh per person and ₹25 lakh per family.
“With the support of Tata Group, digital nerve centers called Sanjeevani will be established across the state. We are digitizing the health records of five crore citizens and working on preventive and curative health approaches,” he said.
The CM was inaugurating the new super specialty eye care center at Sankara Eye Hospital in Pedakakani in Guntur district on Sunday.
Speaking at the event, Naidu said, “Sickness is the real poverty” and that is why the state government is giving first priority to the health of citizens.
Naidu praised the services of Sankara Eye Foundation and said that they are second to none. “Sankara Eye Hospital has been providing free eye examination and surgery to the poor for more than fifty years, shedding light on the lives of millions of people,” he said.
The Pope of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham said that it was a privilege to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the new block built under the guidance of Jagadguru Sri Sri Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamiji. “The state government will extend full cooperation with such organizations that provide selfless service to the society.”
The Prime Minister assured that government support will continue to noble institutions serving the poor, such as the Sankara Eye Foundation. “We welcome their contribution to public health and are ready to cooperate with them,” he said.
Naidu also lauded the spiritual and social service efforts of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham led by Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamiji. “Peetham, whose guiding principles were Dharma, knowledge and service, stood by the poor and the distressed. Under the guidance of the Pope, the Sankara Eye Foundation will continue to shine in its mission of service,” he said.
Founder of the Sankara Eye Foundation and member of the executive board of trustees, Dr. RV Ramani said: “India is home to more than 20 per cent of the world’s blind population. According to the World Health Organisation, almost 80 per cent of visual impairments can be prevented or treated with timely intervention.
Sankara Eye Hospital was established to provide quality eye care to everyone. Our goal is to reach five lakh free surgeries per year across India by 2030. “Like all our hospitals across the country, this new facility will operate on a sustainable model, providing subsidized services to those in need with the support of paying patients.”
Jagadguru Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi stated: “Service to humanity is the highest form of worship. Through initiatives like this hospital, we see the spirit of dharma manifested in compassionate action. Sankara Eye Hospital has been a shining example of how science and spirituality can work together for the welfare of society. May this new institution continue to serve selflessly and bring light to countless lives.”
Murali Krishnamurthy, founder and chairman of Sankara Eye Foundation, USA, said, “Sankara established a major eye hospital in Pedakakani, Guntur, at a time when the cost of eye care was high. The hospital’s approach will enable more people in Guntur and surrounding districts and villages from AP and other neighboring states to benefit from high-quality service.”
Earlier, Naidu inspected various departments of the hospital and met the officials and explained the details of surgeries and eye bank operations.
The organizers felicitated the CM with a shawl and a Thanjavur painting. Union minister of state Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, local MLAs and representatives of Shankara Eye Foundation were present.
