In 2021, the YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh launched an ambitious health initiative: establishing 17 new government medical colleges across the state. Recovering from the trauma of COVID-19, then Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy envisioned a medical college in every district to ensure super-specialty healthcare was accessible to all, close to where people live.
COVID-19 Experience as a Catalyst
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the resilience of government hospitals. While many private hospitals struggled to manage patient loads, Andhra Pradesh’s public health system performed exceptionally well, demonstrating the critical role of government healthcare infrastructure.
This experience motivated CM Jagan Mohan Reddy to expand public healthcare, not merely by establishing new colleges, but by creating integrated healthcare hubs. These hubs are designed to connect specialty hospitals, government hospitals, primary health centers, and village clinics, creating a coordinated, top-down healthcare network.
Progress So Far
Of the planned 17 colleges:
7 are fully completed
5 have already begun admissions (2023–2025)
Together, these institutions are expected to add 2,550 medical seats by 2027.
Funding for this initiative has come from a mix of centrally sponsored schemes, NABARD, and special assistance from the Government of India.
Controversial Decision: PPP Mode
The current TDP government’s decision to convert these medical colleges into Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) has drawn widespread criticism. Unlike hotels, SEZs, seaports, and airports, medical colleges serve a social rather than commercial purpose.
While the government argues that PPP will reduce state expenditure, the reality is that the financial burden is shifted to the public, affecting:
Affordability of medical education
Opportunities for meritorious and disadvantaged students
Public service and social responsibility
To put it in perspective, APCRDA has already issued tenders worth ₹50,000 crores for Amaravati’s infrastructure, with ₹8,000 crores for roads, drains, and related work alone—a fraction of which could have been used to complete the remaining 10 medical colleges.
Why This Matters
Private participation brings a profit motive that could undermine public interest. At a stage where:
Land allocation, permissions, and construction are already in progress,
Most prestigious medical institutions in India are government-run for their affordable fees and merit-based admissions,
it is neither practical nor socially responsible to hand over these colleges to private entities.
Government medical colleges:
Provide affordable quality education
Ensure seats go to the brightest students, not only those who can pay high fees
Integrate with district healthcare networks, requiring commitment to social responsibility
Impact on Society
Late PM Jawaharlal Nehru called dams “temples of modern India.” Today, educational institutions are temples of modern society. Thousands of aspiring doctors are forced to study abroad due to a shortage of affordable seats in India. Completing these government medical colleges is not just an infrastructure project—it is a comprehensive public health plan that upgrades healthcare access and strengthens social equity.
It is the moral responsibility of the government to protect these institutions. Any decision to privatize them risks future generations’ access to education, healthcare, and public welfare. Society has largely opposed this move, and it is imperative that the government withdraw its proposal in favor of public interest.
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