Corporate-level care for poor is govt.’s priority, says Minister
The Andhra Pradesh government is working to make corporate-level healthcare accessible to the poor, with the State’s medical sector witnessing steady growth over the past two years, Health, Medical and Family Welfare Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said on Sunday.
The Minister, along with District Collector Abhishek Kishore, inaugurated an Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) machine and other facilities at the Chest and Communicable Diseases Hospital in Visakhapatnam.
Calling the EBUS machine the first of its kind in the Telugu States, Yadav said it would significantly improve diagnostic capabilities in the region. He added that outpatient footfall at the hospital increased from 35,000 in 2023 to 45,000 in 2025, while the number of major surgeries rose from 359 to 649.
Highlighting recent initiatives, the Minister said Andhra Pradesh has undertaken large-scale free cancer screening across the State and established advanced cancer centres in Kurnool, Visakhapatnam, Kadapa and Guntur. Similar facilities in Kakinada and Anantapur are expected to be completed in the next financial year.
Yadav also said that financial coverage under the Aarogyasri (NTR Vaidya Seva) scheme has been expanded from ₹6 lakh to ₹3.76 crore, reflecting increased public trust in government healthcare institutions. The number of dialysis machines has gone up from 550 to 725, with the government planning to add a new machine every three days.
He further announced that a ‘Universal Health Scheme’, offering free treatment up to ₹25 lakh per family, will be rolled out soon, positioning Andhra Pradesh among the leading States in public healthcare delivery.
Speaking on the occasion, Kishore said the introduction of advanced technology in government hospitals on par with corporate institutions would improve healthcare quality. He termed the new equipment a milestone in pulmonary medicine and emphasised its effective utilisation.
He added that efforts are underway to mobilise additional resources through Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives and to develop Visakhapatnam into a global city through partnerships with national and international organisations