Need to 'promote population': Chandrababu Naidu

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today said there was need to "promote population" in the country keeping in tune with the "changing trends".

"Hitherto, our focus was on population control. But now we have to promote population. The trend has changed," Naidu remarked at a function where he launched four health schemes on the occasion of his 66th birthday.

"Countries like Japan and China are facing problems because of aged population. Now they are also going for population promotion. The trend has changed, so we too should promote population," he said.

Naidu said the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) were showing steady decline in the state.

"In 2014, AP topped the southern states in IMR and MMR but now we are on top in the country in terms of decline in these two parameters," Chandrababu pointed.

He said his government is trying to develop the state as a health care hub.

"UK is setting up a world-class hospital in our new capital Amaravati. It will be the headquarter for seven hospitals UK is going to set up in the country. It will also have a world-class medical college. AIIMS is also coming up at Mangalagiri in the capital region with modern facilities," Naidu said.

The Chief Minister launched 'Chandranna Samchara Chikitsa', a mobile health service facility for rural areas.

About 275 mobile medical units would go round 13,000 villages twice a month to provide health care services to people.

Each mobile unit would have a doctor, nurse, pharmacist and a lab technician and equipped with latest Medicare facilities.

The Chief Minister also launched the Rota virus vaccination and Inactivated Polio virus Vaccine immunisation programme on the occasion.

Free CT scan facility in four government hospitals in Tekkali, Chirala, Guduru and Prodduturu on a pilot basis were launched by Naidu.

Union Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju, state health minister Kamineni Srinivas and other ministers and officials were also present at the function.