VIJAYAWADA: The Medical and Health Department has clarified that the services of Vaidya Mitras and other staff working under the NTR Vaidya Seva Trust will continue without interruption, even as the state transitions to the new Universal Health Scheme.
Officials emphasised that salaries and allowances will remain unchanged, in the current payment structure.
Following Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s directive to implement the Universal Health initiative, the Andhra Pradesh Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (APMSIDC) invited tenders on December 8 last year.
In response, both central public sector undertakings and private insurance companies sought additional details, which the department has since provided.
At the final pre-bid meeting held at the APMSIDC office on Tuesday, Managing Director Veerapandian and NTR Vaidya Seva Trust CEO Dinesh Kumar reiterated that all personnel engaged under the trust must be retained by whichever insurance company secures the tender. They stressed that this is a policy decision of the government.
Officials noted that the free healthcare coverage, extended to 1.42 crore families, will now be expanded to include all 1.62 crore families in the state (excluding EHS beneficiaries and working journalists).
Insurance companies were instructed to ensure that the existing 3,257 medical procedures remain accessible to the public under the new scheme. The tender process is being expedited to ensure smooth implementation.