Naidu govt crippling public health; Aarogyasri collapsed

Narasaraopet, October 27: Former MLA and YSRCP Palnadu District Working President Dr. Gopireddy Srinivas Reddy criticised the Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government for deliberately dismantling Andhra Pradesh’s public health system, warning that the lives of lakhs of poor patients are now at grave risk.
Addressing the media in Narasaraopet, Dr. Gopireddy said the Aarogyasri scheme, once the lifeline for the poor, has collapsed due to government apathy. “Hospitals across the state are on strike over unpaid dues. Lakhs of poor patients are suffering as Aarogyasri services have come to a standstill. Such disregard for public health is unheard of,” he said.
He condemned the government for handing over 108 and 104 emergency services to an unqualified private company in gross violation of norms. “A firm with less than Rs.  5 crore turnover was awarded a Rs.  300 crore contract, without any tender process, merely because it’s owned by the TDP Doctors’ Cell President. This is a dangerous experiment with people’s lives,” he charged.

Recalling the legacy of Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the architect of Aarogyasri, he said the scheme transformed healthcare by providing free corporate-level treatment to the poor. “YSR gave the poor dignity and access to the best healthcare. Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy strengthened it further, expanding procedures from 1,700 to 3,700, covering even Rs.  1,000 treatments and COVID-19 care worth Rs.  700 crore,” he noted.
Dr. Gopireddy lamented that under Naidu’s rule, Aarogyasri hospitals are paralysed. “Out of Rs.  3,000 crore dues, only Rs.  250 crore were released selectively. 95% of hospitals have halted services; daily surgeries have plunged from 9,000 to 3,000. Even salaries are delayed. The poor are dying for lack of care while the government watches silently,” he said.
He also criticised the Chief Minister and IT Minister for their lavish foreign tours while ignoring the health crisis. “YS Jagan government spent Rs.  13,000 crore on healthcare. This regime borrowed Rs.  2 lakh crore in just 16 months, but can’t allocate even Rs.  300 crore a month to keep Aarogyasri@ alive,” he remarked.
Calling the privatization of 108 and 104 services a “conspiracy to weaken the state’s healthcare backbone,” Dr. Gopireddy said, “Services once run efficiently by reputed firms like GVK and Aurobindo have now been handed to politically connected cronies. This exposes the corruption and recklessness of Chandrababu Naidu’s administration.”
He warned that the coalition government is also undermining public medical colleges and paving the way for full privatization of healthcare and medical education, making quality care unaffordable for the poor and middle class.
Concluding, Dr. Gopireddy demanded the immediate creation of a Green Channel for Aarogyasri payments, with Rs.  300 crore released monthly to sustain hospitals and save lives. “Health is not a luxury but a fundamental right. This government’s criminal neglect of public health is an assault on the poor,” he declared.