Telangana is rapidly gaining recognition as a prime destination for medical tourism, attracting over one lakh visitors annually from regions including the Middle East, Africa, SAARC and CIS countries. The State’s appeal is now expanding further to Southeast Asia and Europe, said Telangana Health Secretary Christina Z. Chongthu while addressing contestants of Miss World 2025 during their visit to AIG Hospital on Friday.

Highlighting the importance of women’s health, Ms. Chongthu described it as ‘foundational’ to the well-being of families and societies. She detailed the State’s flagship healthcare initiative, Aarogya Mahila, launched in 2023, and outlined Telangana’s broader healthcare infrastructure aimed at promoting equitable and accessible care for women.

“The Aarogya Mahila programme currently operates in 372 primary health centers across Telangana, linked with 37 tertiary care institutions. Every Tuesday, women patients can access preventive screenings and consultations exclusively provided by women healthcare professionals. It is cared for by women, for women,” she explained.

Since its inception, Aarogya Mahila has screened 19.21 lakh women, with over 42,600 referred for further diagnosis and treatment. The screenings focus on eight critical health areas, including breast, cervical, and oral cancers, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), menopause, urinary tract infections (UTIs), infertility, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and nutritional deficiencies. Breast cancer screenings have reached 14.49 lakh women, cervical cancer 3.51 lakh, and oral cancer 14.86 lakh.

Also in attendance at the event were Ravinder Nayak, director of Public Health and Family Welfare, A.Narendra Kumar, Director of Medical Education, and other senior officials from the Health Department. The audience included female doctors from government healthcare institutions across Telangana.