VIJAYAWADA: Former Chief Secretary Dr PV Ramesh, along with several public health experts, cautioned that the coalition government’s plan to introduce the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in government medical colleges could jeopardise the health security of six crore residents in the State.
The concern was voiced at a roundtable meeting jointly organised by Praja Arogya Vedika and Jana Vigyan Vedika at Balaotsava Bhavan in Vijayawada on Saturday.
Dr Ramesh emphasised that healthcare is a fundamental constitutional right that must be safeguarded by the government. “Even in highly developed countries, the State shoulders the bulk of healthcare expenditure. Public health spending should be viewed as an investment, not an expense. Transferring control of government medical colleges to private entities under the guise of PPP is an anti-people act,” he asserted. He called on intellectuals, civil society, and political parties to unite in opposition.
Praja Arogya Vedika president Dr MV Ramanaiah warned that poor patients risk losing access to free treatment under PPP management. He further criticised proposals to sell half the seats at exorbitant fees.