Andhra Pradesh plans to invest Rs 16,200 crore to strengthen primary healthcare

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh government on Friday decided to invest over Rs 16,200 crore to strengthen the primary healthcare sector in the state by revamping government hospitals and medical colleges, apart from setting up 10,000 YSR Health Clinics at the village level.

The chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officials to establish YSR Health Clinics at every village secretariat at the earliest.

At a review meeting of the healthcare sector on Friday, Reddy said better medical facilities round the clock at the village level while revamping the existing sub-centres as YSR Health Clinics will also help control spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Reddy has directed the officials to set up seven super speciality hospitals in the tribal regions of the state and six medical colleges with attached institutions at an outlay of Rs 6,100 crore. He has also directed to set up 15 more new medical colleges and nursing colleges along with multi-speciality institutions, wherein each medical college should also have a nursing college attached.

The government has decided to revamp the existing 1,086 sub-centres and setting up 10,000 more clinics at a budget of Rs 2,026 crore. Chief Minister directed the officials to identify suitable lands before June 15 to complete the project before the fiscal-end.

Chief Minister Reddy directed adding 149 new primary healthcare centres to the existing 1,138 across the state at an outlay of Rs 257 crore and refurbish 989 PCHs at Rs 413 crore. It was also decided to strengthen 52 area hospitals and 169 community health centres involving a budget of Rs 1,236 crore.