*Clear Aarogyasri dues unconditionally; health investment policy ridiculous*

Srikakulam, April 23: YSRCP has demanded that the coalition government clear all Aarogyasri dues unconditionally and ridiculed the nomenclature of the health investment policy, stating that it puts public health into the hands of private players.

Speaking to the media here on Thursday, former minister Seediri Appalaraju said that the coalition government is making all efforts to privatize public health. He added that the tripartite agreement to clear the mounting Rs 3,200 crore dues is heavily loaded against network hospitals and is aimed at forcing them to agree to privatization through insurance companies.

According to the agreement, the Aarogyasri Trust will take a loan from the State Power Corporation, and network hospitals will have to bear the burden in case of any default. Not only this, but the interest on the loan taken to clear the dues of network hospitals will also be deducted from the payments made by the government to these hospitals. He termed the agreement absurd, as the loan is taken to clear the dues of network hospitals, yet they are required to bear the interest and also repay the loan in case of default. Such an arrangement is unprecedented.

He said that in its 20 years of existence, Aarogyasri has never suffered such setbacks as under the coalition government, noting that services were disrupted on two occasions, forcing the state to come up with a one-time settlement plan through the tripartite agreement.
He criticized the government’s “health investment policy,” stating that the terminology itself indicates that public health is being handed over to private players. He alleged that medical colleges, including those started by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, are being given away to private entities.

He recalled that Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy had envisioned a Health City after establishing VIMS, and that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, while setting up medical colleges, allowed private participation with the condition that 50 percent of beds be reserved for Aarogyasri patients.

He said the difference between N. Chandrababu Naidu and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is evident in their vision and approach. He demanded that Aarogyasri dues be cleared immediately and unconditionally and that the health investment policy be reviewed, as it appears to favor private players.

He added that while Chandrababu Naidu has raised loans exceeding Rs 3.5 lakh crore in less than two years without accountability, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had borrowed less during his tenure, with DBT for welfare schemes being properly documented.