Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy flagged 500 air-conditioned vehicles to provide free transport for mothers and their newborns right to their doorstep.
Named 'Dr YSR Thalli Bidda Express' after Reddy's father and former chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, the "state-of-the-art" vehicles set off from Vijayawada's Benz Circle to all parts of the state.
Speaking on occasion, Jagan said that his government has bought the vehicles so that no mother and child face difficulty in reaching their homes safely after delivery.
"Our government has given utmost priority to women and children's welfare since its inception. These free services were also rolled out for the mother and child's safe and comfortable transportation [sic]," Reddy said.
Stating that his government has initiated steps to provide quality medical services in hospitals through the Nadu-Nedu programme, Reddy said that a new impetus is provided to the 104 and 108 ambulance services, "which were neglected by the previous government."
Under the Aarogya Aasara scheme, Rs 3,000 is being given to women who underwent Cesarean deliveries and Rs 5,000 for normal deliveries to aid their recovery, the CM said.
He added that quality medical services with WHO-certified medicines are being provided for free.
Check out DH's latest videos