Andhra CM Clarifies on Government's Role in New Medical Colleges

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has clarified that despite adopting a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for 10 new government medical colleges, the administration and jurisdiction will remain under the government's control. The decision to opt for a PPP model has sparked controversy in the state. In a review meeting of the Health Department, Naidu emphasized that the PPP model will enable the provision of modern healthcare services in rural areas, which are currently only available in cities. The government has allocated 50 acres for each college, with plans to construct the hospital and medical college on 25 acres and other facilities, such as nursing and dental care, on the remaining 25 acres. The Chief Minister also announced that 70% of hospital beds will be reserved for the poor and healthcare services will be provided free of cost. He stressed that these hospitals must operate according to government standards. Naidu also highlighted the significance of the Sanjeevani health project, a digital health initiative that aims to monitor public health through the digitization of health records. The project, implemented in collaboration with Tata and the Bill Gates Foundation, has already collected health data for 49,000 people in Kuppam and will be expanded to Chittoor district from January 1, 2026. Furthermore, the Chief Minister directed officials to introduce a universal health insurance scheme from April 1, 2026, which will cover 12 lakh claims currently being settled through the NTR Seva Trust at a cost of ₹330 crore per month. He also emphasized the need to focus on preventive and curative systems in public health to reduce expenditure and called for an action plan to analyze the health data collected under the Sanjeevani project.