Amaravati, Nov 11: YSRCP president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has strongly criticised Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s decision to privatise government medical colleges under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. He alleged that the coalition government was handing over valuable public assets to private organisations in the name of PPP, calling the move a major scam.
In a strongly worded statement, Jagan questioned why the government was choosing privatisation when the remaining medical colleges could be completed with an annual investment of just Rs. 1,000 crore.
17 Medical Colleges Planned During YSRCP Government
Jagan said that his government had initiated the construction of 17 new medical colleges across Andhra Pradesh. Of these, five colleges were inaugurated, while another three were made ready to begin academic activities.
He argued that the remaining nine colleges could also be completed by allocating around Rs. 1,000 crore annually. Instead of continuing the construction with public funds, the Chandrababu government was allegedly planning to hand over these institutions to private entities.
Jagan Raises Questions Over PPP Medical College Model
Questioning the financial structure of the PPP model, Jagan highlighted several concerns regarding the proposed privatisation:
- Government land at nominal lease rates: Valuable government land worth hundreds of crores is allegedly being leased to private organisations for just Rs. 100 per acre.
- Private control over medical seats: Private operators could get the opportunity to sell more than half of the available medical seats.
- Rs. 1,630 crore in public funds: The government is proposing Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs. 1,630 crore for these institutions.
- Government-funded salaries: The government would reportedly continue paying the salaries of doctors, professors and other staff for two years.
Jagan further claimed that maintaining staff at each college could cost around Rs. 5 crore per month, amounting to Rs. 120 crore over two years per college.
He questioned why private organisations should receive control of government institutions when the land, buildings, financial assistance and staff salaries are all being funded through public money.
Government Medical Colleges Can Provide Affordable Healthcare
Jagan explained that the 17 medical colleges planned by the previous YSRCP government were designed as teaching hospitals. They were intended to provide free, quality multi-speciality healthcare to poor and middle-class families.
According to him, 50 per cent of medical seats would be filled through the government quota, while the remaining seats would also be available at comparatively affordable fees compared with private medical colleges.
He said the previous government had developed a financial sustainability model to ensure that these institutions could meet their operational expenses. It had also established banking linkages to support their long-term financial requirements.
Jagan maintained that teaching hospitals could operate efficiently with the involvement of professors, medical students and nursing students in healthcare services.
Medical Colleges Planned as Part of a Statewide Healthcare Network
Jagan said the medical colleges were not intended to function as isolated institutions. They were planned to be connected with area hospitals, Community Health Centres (CHCs), Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and village clinics across their respective districts.
This integrated healthcare network was expected to improve access to quality medical services, including multi-speciality treatment, even in rural areas.
He argued that strengthening government hospitals would also encourage private hospitals to provide treatment at more affordable prices, benefiting the general public.
Jagan Accuses Coalition Government of Weakening Public Healthcare
The former Chief Minister also criticised the Chandrababu-led coalition government over what he described as the deterioration of public healthcare services in Andhra Pradesh.
He raised several concerns:
- Aarogyasri scheme: Jagan alleged that the Rs. 25 lakh health coverage scheme had been weakened due to pending payments to network hospitals. He claimed that around Rs. 3,000 crore in dues remained unpaid, forcing several hospitals to stay away from Aarogyasri services.
- Shortage of medicines: He alleged that government hospitals were facing shortages of essential medicines and even basic medical supplies, unlike during the previous government’s tenure, when GMP/WHO-standard medicines were supplied.
- Specialist doctor vacancies: Jagan said his government’s Zero Vacancy Policy had reduced specialist doctor vacancies in government hospitals to around 4 per cent, compared with a national shortage of approximately 61 per cent. He alleged that the current government had weakened this policy, resulting in rising vacancies.
- Nadu-Nedu works: He criticised the coalition government for stopping infrastructure development works in government hospitals.
- Village Clinics: He alleged that village clinics had been neglected and their services weakened.
- 108 and 104 services: Jagan also expressed concern over the condition of emergency ambulance and mobile healthcare services.
Jagan Warns of Legal Action Over Medical College Privatisation
Jagan said that public opposition to the privatisation proposal was growing, claiming that nearly one crore people had signed petitions against the government’s decision through the YSRCP-led campaign.
He accused Chandrababu Naidu of proceeding with the PPP model despite public objections and warned that the decision would affect affordable medical education and public healthcare.
The YSRCP chief made it clear that his party would continue opposing the privatisation of government medical colleges. He also warned that if the YSRCP returned to power, legal action would be initiated against those found responsible for irregularities in the process, including arrests wherever warranted.
Jagan said government medical colleges were public assets meant to serve the people, particularly economically weaker sections, and alleged that handing them over to private organisations would undermine the purpose for which they were established.
