VIJAYAWADA: Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav issued a strongly worded letter on Wednesday, rebutting the allegations made by former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy regarding the State’s public health services. He refuted the claims of the YSRC chief as baseless, and accused Jagan of misleading the public with a false propaganda.
Jagan alleged that the coalition government was weakening the Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Scheme (formerly Aarogyasri) by accumulating Rs 3,000 crore in arrears, attempting privatisation, and jeopardising health security for 1.5 crore families.
Addressing these accusations, Satya Kumar presented a detailed comparison of the coalition government’s efforts against the previous administration’s record. During Jagan’s tenure, the letter said, out of Rs 12,163.64 crore sanctioned for Aarogyasri services, only Rs 9,942.04 crore was paid, leaving arrears of Rs 2,221.60 crore. In contrast, the coalition government has allocated Rs 4,000 crore for public health services in the current fiscal, and has already cleared Rs 1,850 crore, with an additional Rs 500 crore to be released soon.
On claims of privatisation, he clarified that the government is considering insurance partnerships to enhance healthcare delivery. The plan aims to provide Rs 25 lakh annual health coverage per family, with lower claims handled by insurance and higher amounts overseen by the Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Trust.
He also criticised the former Chief Minister’s handling of emergency medical services (108 and 104), highlighting poor vehicle maintenance, delayed responses, and alleged nepotism in awarding contracts.