YSRCP Chief and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Reddy has strongly opposed the Andhra Pradesh government’s move to privatize government medical colleges, accusing the Chandrababu Naidu administration of undermining initiatives intended to benefit the poor. Jagan visited the Narsipatnam Medical College, which was approved and initiated during the YSRCP regime, and highlighted the government’s efforts to make quality healthcare accessible to all sections of society.
Addressing the media, Jagan stated that his government had established medical colleges in every district to provide affordable healthcare, emphasizing that private hospitals charge exorbitant fees that many poor families cannot afford. He questioned the rationale behind handing over modern medical institutions to private entities, pointing out that 17 government medical colleges, including a 52-acre campus in Narsipatnam, were made operational under his administration. The Narsipatnam facility, once completed, will offer 600 beds for free treatment, with ₹500 crore already invested during the COVID-19 crisis. Jagan also highlighted that his government had made 150 MBBS seats available annually across these colleges.
Jagan further accused Chandrababu-aligned leaders and the Speaker of spreading false information about the Narsipatnam project, specifically disputing claims that there was no Government Order (GO) approving these colleges, citing GO Number 204 as evidence. He criticized the current administration for failing to invest adequately in medical colleges that serve millions of people while planning other large-scale projects, and urged the government to reconsider privatization, stressing the need to protect free and accessible healthcare for the state’s economically disadvantaged population.