VIJAYAWADA: The State government has unveiled a comprehensive plan to overhaul healthcare and medical policies, with strong technical support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Health Minister Y Sathya Kumar Yadav announced that the reforms aim to make medical services more accessible, affordable, and technologically advanced, aligning with Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s vision for ‘Healthy Andhra Pradesh.’
On Monday, Bill Gates will visit Amaravati to meet State officials and review the initiatives already underway. The partnership emphasises preventive healthcare, nutrition programs, and digital medical services, moving beyond traditional treatment models.
Plans include issuing personalised health cards, introducing AI-driven diagnostics, and expanding telemedicine facilities to predict and prevent diseases before they spread.
To guide these reforms, a high-level advisory group of 10 international experts has been formed, with three sub-committees focusing on specialised areas. The state has also launched the Sanjeevani programme in collaboration with Tata MD, which integrates real-time health monitoring across medical centres. A pilot project in Chittoor district is now being expanded statewide.
The government is also advancing AI-based healthcare strategies, with discussions already held in Vijayawada involving multiple states. As part of this effort, the Med Tech Challenge has invited innovators to develop AI-powered devices. Out of 100 participants, 20 have been shortlisted for pilot testing in government hospitals, with final selections expected by March-end.
Data-driven disease prevention is another priority, with health information being linked to the RTGS Aware platform.