Doctors' Association for Social Equality

VIJAYAWADA: Working for a minimum of five years in rural areas would be made mandatory for all doctors who complete the undergraduate course in future, according to Minister for Vaidya Vidhana Parishad and Hospital Services Vanama Venkateswara Rao.
The Minister made a surprise check of a couple of wholesale drug establishments in One Town and a blood bank in Governorpet on Tuesday.
Talking to reporters later, Mr. Venkateswara Rao said the healthcare sector was badly neglected by the earlier Government.
He said the Government would soon issue a notification for the recruitment of 700 staff nurses.
Notifications had already been issued for the recruitment of 534 specialist doctors, 135 dentists and 450 paramedical staff.
The process of recruitment would be completed by November-end.

Trauma care centres

The Government had earmarked an additional 40 per cent of the budget for healthcare to provide emergency treatment for poor patients.
The Government had earmarked Rs. 5,000 crores for providing healthcare to the poor under a health scheme. The Government had also released Rs. 72 crores for establishing ten trauma care centres along the national highways.
The Minister warned of stringent action against the manufacturers and distributors of substandard or spurious
He said the minimum sentence for dealing with spurious drugs was three years. Manufacturers and distributors caught dealing with spurious drugs would be blacklisted permanently, the Minister said.

Source: The Hindu ( http://www.hinduonnet.com/2007/10/17/stories/2007101761350500.htm )