57.11 lakh women, kids get free health checks in state

Vijayawada: A total of 57.11 lakh women and children availed free medical services across the state through special health camps organised under the banner ‘Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan’ (Healthy Woman, Strong Family). Health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav announced the completion of the campaign on Saturday, pointing to its extensive reach across the state.

The camps were conducted for 16 days, from September 17 to October 2, in response to a call from the Central government. A total of 25,192 medical camps were held simultaneously in 26 districts, providing free health check-ups and screenings. The minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus on improving healthcare for the poor and women led to the nationwide implementation of this programme across all states and Union Territories.

During these camps, 12.01 lakh blood pressure, 11.42 lakh diabetes, 9.7 lakh haemoglobin, 2.69 lakh tuberculosis, and 37,561 sickle cell screening tests were conducted. Screening for oral cancer was done for 6.36 lakh people, breast cancer for 3.61 lakh, and cervical cancer for 2.43 lakh women. In addition, 83,451 children were immunised during the campaign.

The camps also facilitated blood donation by 10,225 volunteers and the distribution of 1.73 lakh PMJAY and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) health cards. Super-specialty doctors participated to ensure high-quality screenings.

Among the districts, Dra Ambedkar Konaseema (3,603 camps) and West Godavari (3,237 camps) topped the list in camp organisation.

The nationwide campaign was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Madhya Pradesh on September 17, and the medical camps in Andhra Pradesh concluded on Thursday after 16 days of intensive screening.