The Telangana government launched the “Aarogya Mahila” — or healthy woman — scheme, the state’s latest initiative aimed at the welfare of women, on the occasion of International Women’s Day on Wednesday, 8 March.
The scheme would initially be available at 100 Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Health Minister T Harish Rao said, adding that it would soon be extended to 1,200 centres.
The minister was speaking after launching the scheme at the Urban Health Centre in Karimnagar town’s Buttirajram Colony.
“Women suffer from several diseases. Financial difficulties, lack of understanding, and inability to tell others about the problem are disheartening,” Rao said.
“We have launched this initiative so that women get proper healthcare. Currently, we are opening it in 100 hospitals. We will increase it to 1,200 centres in the coming days,” he announced.
He added that necessary medical tests and medicines would be provided free to all women from poor and middle-class families.
Delighted to share Telangana govt will launch #ArogyaMahila – another revolutionary program for women's health & well being to mark #InternationalWomenDay2023 as envisioned by our visionary CM Shri KCR garu
Let’s create a world deserving of women around us. #HappyWomensDay pic.twitter.com/OPMQwf6Yhc
— Harish Rao Thanneeru (@BRSHarish) March 8, 2023
Also read: Telangana government to start scheme to fight anaemia
The initiative
Every Tuesday, PHCs would hold special health checkups for women and the required medicines would be provided immediately. If a patient needed further care, she would be sent to referral hospitals.
The scheme includes 57 types of medical services, including diagnostics, cancer screening, nutritional problems, urinary problems, menopause-related, family planning, infertility, menstrual problems, sexually-transmitted diseases, and underweight problems.
Additionally, 20 medical examinations would be conducted in pathological labs under this initiative. The doctors would also check for hypertension, diabetes, and anaemia. All reports would be available within 24 hours.
The government said that as women face a higher risk of cancer, breast cancer screening tests would be conducted for women above 30 years of age in PHCs, urban health centres, and basti dawakhanas.
Also, mammograms would be conducted at district centres and regional hospitals.
Further tests, colposcopy, cryotherapy, biopsy, and pap smear would also be done.
NIMS and MMJ Cancer Hospitals in Hyderabad would provide free cancer treatment for women coming under the Aarogya Mahila scheme.
Medical tests for iodine deficiency (thyroid), Vitamin D-3, and Vitamin B-12 would also be conducted for women.
Similarly, tests and counselling would also be provided for problems such as menopause, menstruation, family planning, and infertility.
Also read: How southern states reduced maternal mortality rate by 36%
All-women clinics
Special health helpdesks for women are being set up for this programme. Patient care workers, along with ANM and Asha workers, are being assigned to each centre.
“From the attendant to the doctor, all are women in these clinics. We request all women to take advantage of this initiative,” Rao said.
The programme is expected to be launched in two PHCs each in the Adilabad, Jangaon, Kumurambheem Asifabad, Nirmal, Mulugu, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, and Jayashankar Bhupalpally districts; three each in the Kamareddy, Peddapalli, and Karimnagar districts; four each in the Mancherial, Warangal, Sangareddy, and Rajanna Sircilla districts; five PHCs each in the Bhadradri Kothagudem, Hanamkonda, Suryapet, Jagtial, Nizamabad, and Mahabubabad districts; six PHCs each in the Khammam, Medak, and Nalgonda districts; and 13 PHCs in the Siddipet district.
