In a push to privatise healthcare, the Andhra Pradesh government has transferred management of the Rs 3.5-crore Police Welfare Fund to the Apollo Hospitals group.
The fund's corpus has been collected from the states police personnel. The Apollo group will manage the fund and also take care of the health needs of the 1 lakh-strong police force and their families.
The personnel will not be expected to pay for the service received from Apollo's hospitals and other hospitals that will form part of the network. Apollo has shortlisted 14 hospitals.
It may be recalled that Prathap C Reddy, chairman, Apollo group, had announced plans to enter health insurance when the sector is thrown open for private operators. The move to take over the fund's management is seen as a precursor to an actual foray into the business.
A broader operational framework is also being readied. An integrated three-tier structure is being formed to make its services available across the state. At the grass-root level, doctors and clinics will form part of the chain. The next level shall consist of diagnostic centres which will treat patients referred to by the primary-level doctors/clinics. While some centres could be Apollo's own, others could be franchisee medical establishments.
The apex le
