VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government will open eight new Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) across the state this month to strengthen neonatal healthcare, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav announced on Tuesday.
Each centre will have 10 advanced warmers, adding 80 critical-care beds for newborns who need them the most. The project will cost Rs 4.8 crore to build and Rs 1.07 crore annually to operate under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Four units will be operational by the end of November at Amalapuram (Konaseema), Kuppam (Chittoor), Guntakal (Anantapur) and Emmiganuru (Kurnool).
\The remaining four — at Nuzvid (Eluru), Kavali (Nellore), Kadiri (Sri Sathya Sai) and Srikalahasti (Tirupati) — will begin operations in early December.
With the addition of these facilities, the number of SNCUs in the state will increase to 70 from the existing 62 operating in teaching hospitals, district headquarters and community health centres.
Since the coalition government took charge in June 2024, speed has been the hallmark of its health mission. Four brand-new SNCUs have already begun work in Anakapalle, Prathipadu, Hindupur, and Nandyal. Another unit in Sattenapalli was swiftly upgraded from a stabilisation corner to a full-fledged neonatal ICU. Today’s announcement is the next leap forward.