The debate on public healthcare infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh has intensified after YSRCP President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed concern over the decision to privatize 17 government medical colleges. According to him, these medical institutions were planned to strengthen healthcare access, increase medical seats, and create teaching hospitals that offer free or affordable services to poor and middle-class families. The initiative, he said, should remain under government control to ensure that healthcare remains accessible to all sections of society.
Government Medical Colleges and Public Health Access
Jagan Mohan Reddy stated that government medical colleges are not only academic institutions but foundational pillars of public healthcare delivery. When linked to teaching hospitals, they offer treatment at minimal or no cost, providing relief to economically weaker sections. He emphasized that privatizing these institutions would shift the burden onto common citizens, as private institutions typically prioritize commercial considerations. Therefore, protecting government hospitals is part of safeguarding the public health structure of the state.
Seven Colleges Already Completed
According to the former Chief Minister, ongoing work on the medical colleges has shown significant progress, with seven campuses already completed and equipped to operate. These colleges were designed to increase the total number of medical seats in the state by at least 2,550, thereby strengthening medical education and encouraging more doctors to serve within Andhra Pradesh. He argued that abandoning these projects midway or handing them to private entities would compromise the original objective of expanding medical education in the public sector.
Public Funding Could Finish Remaining Colleges
Jagan Mohan Reddy highlighted that if the state allocates approximately ₹5,000 crore annually, the remaining medical colleges can be completed without privatization. The former government’s long-term vision, he said, focused on creating permanent public assets that contribute to both education and healthcare. He stated that the model would also generate medical jobs, training opportunities, and improved healthcare infrastructure, particularly in districts with fewer facilities.
Impact on Public Healthcare
He further warned that privatizing medical colleges could limit access for poorer families, as treatment costs in private hospitals are typically higher. Government teaching hospitals, on the other hand, serve as a backbone during health emergencies, epidemics, and public medical programmes. In his view, transferring control to private entities could weaken the state’s capacity to respond to future health challenges.
A Call for Strengthening Public Institutions
Jagan Mohan Reddy stated that the effort to build 17 government medical colleges was one of the largest state-led healthcare expansions in India. He urged that the state should prioritize completion of these institutions rather than outsourcing them. According to him, a strong public health system ensures accountability, transparency, affordability, and universal access—values that are essential for a welfare-based governance model.
He concluded that the government should continue investing in public medical infrastructure to protect long-term healthcare needs instead of opting for privatization. As healthcare costs rise nationwide, strengthening government hospitals remains a vital public responsibility.
