Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Government will bear the cost of treatment of Rs 1.5 crore for Dr N Bhaskar Rao, who is undergoing Covid – 19 treatment in Care Hospitals, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday.

On knowing the condition of Dr Bhaskar Rao through Minister Balineni Srinivas Reddy, CM immediately announced that the Government will bear the entire cost of treatment.

Dr Bhaskar Rao got infected while discharging his duty as a Covid officer. Hence, the State government will bear the entire cost of his treatment, CM Jagan said and directed officials to release funds from the CMRF.

He is a Civil Assistant Surgeon in Karamchedu PHC in Prakhasm district, he attended the Covid -19 treatment nearly 6K patients since the pandemic started. Bhasker Rao and his wife Dr Bhagya Lakshmi, an Assistant Professor, Radio Diagnosis, Guntur Medical College, also tested positive for Covid – 19. Bhasker Rao and his wife admitted to GGH in Guntur on April 30. They were administered Remdesivir supplied by the government.

Dr Bhaskar Rao was shifted to Ayush Hospital in Vijayawada on May 3 when his condition worsened. He was taken to Yashoda Hospital, Somajiguda, Hyderabad, on May 9, where he was put on ventilator support. The next day, he was shifted to Care Hospitals, Gachibowli, for better treatment. He was advised to be on ECMO and go for lung transplantation. But he could not afford the treatment as it costs about Rs 1.5 crore.

AP Principal Health Secretary Anil Kumar Singhal said that the health department staffs are exposed to Covid – 19 while on duty and they work in high risk conditions. The government is there to take care of them when they face trouble. We did it in the past and will continue to help those in need. The Andhra Pradesh Doctors Association thanked the CM.