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From chemotherapy to dialysis, Telangana is steadily shifting critical healthcare services out of Hyderabad and to District Hospitals, in what officials describe as a push to ensure treatment is available closer to patients’ homes.
Marking World Health Day, observed annually on April 7 (Tuesday), a senior official from the Health Department said the government’s recent interventions are aimed at strengthening access, reducing travel burden, and building a structured public health system that can handle both chronic and emergency care at the district level.
At the centre of this approach is the expansion of services for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with clinics now established across all districts in response to the rising burden of hypertension, diabetes and cancer.
Cancer care, in particular, is being decentralised in a significant way. With approximately 60,000 new cancer cases being diagnosed in Telangana each year, day-care cancer centres have been set up in all district headquarters. “These centres allow patients to undergo chemotherapy locally, reducing the need to travel to Hyderabad. The government is also planning to establish four regional cancer care centres as part of a broader strategy to strengthen screening and treatment,” the official said.
Dialysis services
Similarly, dialysis services were expanded to reduce waiting times and travel distances. Over the past two years, 16 new dialysis centres and 120 additional beds were added, taking the total number of centres to 102.
Emergency care
Emergency care systems are also being strengthened as 213 new ambulances were launched, with each mandal being allocated one. This has reduced emergency response times from 20 minutes to 14 minutes in tribal areas and from 18 minutes to 13 minutes in rural areas. Another 77 ambulances are expected to be added, with the State aiming to meet the national benchmark of a 10-minute response time, the official added.
Trauma care centres
In parallel, the government has announced plans to establish 109 trauma care centres along State and national highways at intervals of 35 km.
The expansion of healthcare services also includes targeted interventions for specific populations. Maitri Clinics were established in all districts to provide medical care, counselling and support services to the transgender community, including free gender-affirming surgeries at Osmania General Hospital. Geriatric clinics are being introduced in government hospitals to cater to the elderly.
Diagnostic services
On the diagnostics front, the T-Diagnostics network was expanded, with the number of available tests increasing from 57 to 134 across one central hub and 31 district-level hubs covering all 33 districts. Mini diagnostic centres are also providing radiology services free of cost.
To ensure uninterrupted medicine supply, 22 new Central Medicinal Stores have been established, increasing the total from 10 to 33, ensuring at least one in each district.
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