YSRCP chief and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has demanded Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to secure approvals for the newly proposed five medical colleges to commence classes this academic year and also to release the remaining funds for the timely completion of ongoing medical college projects.
Taking to the social media platform X, Jagan urged Naidu to leverage his influence with the central government to ensure that the required permissions are granted without further delay. He criticized Naidu’s government for neglecting the state’s public health sector, stating that Naidu is deliberately ignoring crucial medical infrastructure development. He stated that the failure to prioritize the commencement of the five new medical colleges, which were scheduled to begin classes this year, is evidence of the Naidu government’s inefficiency.
Jagan Mohan Reddy outlined key healthcare reforms introduced under his administration, including the establishment of village and ward clinics, the family doctor initiative, enhanced services through 108 and 104 ambulances, and the expansion of the Aarogyasri scheme to cover 3,257 treatments. He also highlighted the Aarogya Asara initiative, which provides financial aid during recovery. In addition, Rs. 16,880 crores have been invested in hospital infrastructure under the “Nadu-Nedu” program, and Rs. 8,480 crores allocated for constructing 17 medical colleges, one for each parliamentary constituency.
He noted that during the 2023-24 academic year, five medical colleges in Vizianagaram, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Machilipatnam, and Nandyal successfully began classes, adding 750 MBBS seats and benefiting students from underprivileged backgrounds. He further stated that classes for five additional colleges in Paderu, Markapuram, Madanapalle, Pulivendula, and Adoni were scheduled to begin in the 2024-25 academic year.
He remarked that even though Naidu was in an alliance with the BJP, which was running the central government, he was unable to secure the required approvals and it has led to the loss of an additional 750 seats. He also highlighted how Naidu had ignored the promise made during the elections to fill all medical seats in new colleges under the convener quota.
He also criticized Naidu’s preference for privatization, accusing him of transforming the public healthcare sector into a system that prioritizes private interests over the welfare of the common people. He warned that such policies would result in unaffordable healthcare services for the general public.
