Andhra CM flags off 500 AC Thali Bidda Express vehicles

Amaravati, April 1 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday flagged off 500 air-conditioned Dr YSR 'Thalli Bidda Express' (mother and child express) vehicles at Vijayawada, which will provide free transport to pregnant women, mothers, and infants right to their door-step after delivery.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said the government has been prioritising women and child welfare since inception and thus rolled out these services for safe and comfortable transportation of mother and child.

Reddy said that the government has been taking steps to provide quality services in hospitals through 'Nadu-Nedu' (then and now) initiative and brought a new dynamism to 104 and 108 services, which were deeply neglected in the previous government.

Under 'Aarogya Aasara', Rs 3000 is being given for cesarean deliveries and Rs 5,000 for normal deliveries, he said, adding that quality medical services along with WHO-certified medicines are being provided free.

Ever since he took over as chief minister in 2019, Reddy has launched several flagship programmes that provide freebies and services to people of the state.

In July last year, Reddy had flagged off 1,088 new '104' and '108' ambulances. Other major launch programmes over the past three years include 1200 ambulances during the pandemic in 2020, 1000 ration delivery vehicles, 4,000 garbage collection vehicles, and 160 patrol vehicles in March this year.