Former minister Vidadala Rajani criticized the current government, accusing them of turning Andhra Pradesh into an "unhealthy state." Speaking about the state's healthcare policies, she highlighted the health initiative started by the late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy—Arogya Sri, which was aimed at providing quality medical treatment to the poor. Rajani emphasized that the Y.S. family’s vision was to offer the same level of healthcare to the poor that a Chief Minister would receive. She claimed that during the previous government, quality healthcare was provided free of charge to the poor.
Rajani further noted that under the current administration of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the scope of Arogya Sri had been extended from five lakh to 25 lakh, but now, the system was facing major issues. She said that network hospitals had pending bills worth three thousand crore rupees, which had led to the suspension of medical services in those hospitals. "If the poor fall ill now, where will they go for treatment?" Rajani asked, demanding an immediate response from the government.
She also pointed out that the previous government had continued to support the healthcare system even during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, and had included COVID treatment under the Arogya Sri scheme. Rajani compared the expenditure on the scheme, mentioning that the TDP government had spent Rs 5,100 crore from 2014 to 2019, while the YSR Congress government spent Rs 13,500 crore from 2019 to 2024.
In conclusion, Rajani called for the immediate settlement of network hospital bills and expressed concerns over the potential privatization of Arogya Sri management, suggesting that if private insurance companies took over, it would leave the poor without access to necessary healthcare.
