YS Jagan inaugurates five medical colleges across AP, 12 more to come up by end of 2026

VIZIANAGARAM: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated five medical colleges in Vizianagaram, Rajamahendravaram, Eluru, Machilipatnam and Nandyal in the State on Friday.

YS Jagan visited Vizianagaram and inaugurated the medical college and the remaining four were opened virtually. He went around the photo exhibition arranged on the medical college premises and inspected the laboratory equipment of various departments kept on display. YS Jagan wrote words of inspiration for medical students, “Not all angels have wings. Some have stethoscopes.”

The Chief Minister said that in a first of its kind in the State, five medical colleges were inaugurated. A total of 17 new medical colleges were being set up in the State at an estimated cost of Rs 8,480 crore, while classes for MBBS students in five of these colleges would begin from this year, he said. He asked the medical students to work for at least one year in a Government hospital supplementing the regular doctors so that more people could be benefited.

“The State Government’s idea is to provide any kind of education accessible to the poor by establishing a Government medical college in every parliamentary constituency. Five Government medical colleges will be opened in Pulivendula, Paderu, Markapuram, Adoni and Madanapalle in 2024-25. In 2025-2026, seven more Government medical colleges will be inaugurated at Parvathipuram, Narsipatnam, Palakollu, Amalapuram, Bapatla, Piduguralla and Penukonda,” YS Jagan said.

He said that the State Government would start classes at five medical colleges from next year and classes at the remaining seven medical colleges would begin from 2025. Only 11 medical colleges were started with 966 seats in Andhra Pradesh since Independence and that would go up to 4,735 seats by the time all the 17 medical colleges were completed by the end of 2026. Apart from that, nursing seats were being increased from the existing 1,090 seats to 2,290 seats by constructing 18 more nursing colleges. The existing 11 medical colleges infrastructure facilities were being increased by spending Rs 3,826 crore under the Nadu-Nedu programme, he added.

Explaining about the expansion of the Arogyasri health insurance scheme, YS Jagan said that as many as 3,225 procedures including cancer were being treated now, which was earlier 1,050. Similarly, the referral hospitals were increased to 2,258 hospitals from 900 during the last four years. The State had as many as 2,204 ambulances to bring patients from their homes to the referral hospitals, which was unique in the country, he said.

The Chief Minister said that the national average of specialist doctors vacancy was 61 percent while Andhra Pradesh recorded only 3.96 percent. In the nurses vacancy category, the national average deficit was 27 while it was zero in AP. The national average of lab technicians was 33 percent and in AP it was zero. “An innovative programme Jagananna Suraksha will be launched from September 30, which will continue for 45 days to identify diseases in all the villages in the State. This will help in mapping the health condition of the people,” he said.

Later, YS Jagan also interacted with the students virtually. One of the students shared her enthusiasm with the Chief Minister. She said “ You will be the CM, I will be a doctor. Together, let us serve the people of the State.”