VIJAYAWADA: On the occasion of World Heart Day, Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav announced a comprehensive Rs 34 crore action plan, on Monday, to overhaul and expand cardiac care infrastructure across government teaching hospitals in AP.
The drive aims to make advanced non-invasive and surgical cardiology accessible to underprivileged sections without forcing them to travel to distant metropolitan hubs.
Addressing media personnel in Amaravati under the World Heart Federation’s 2026 global theme, “Don’t Miss a Beat,” the Minister emphasised that cardiovascular diseases account for more than one in four deaths in India, with late reporting of symptoms often proving fatal.
He revealed that 16 new postgraduate medical seats in cardiology have been sanctioned.
Satya Kumar announced that a newly built Cath Lab established under a Public-Private Partnership model at Kakinada GGH has been completed and will be commissioned on October 1, alongside plans for a 50,000 sq. ft. regional Heart Centre in Kakinada supported by corporate CSR funding.
Tenders are also underway for three additional Cath Labs in Tirupati, Nellore, and Srikakulam government teaching hospitals at a cost of Rs 18 crore, which will expand the state’s network from eight to eleven operational Cath Labs.
The Minister stated that Rs 10 crore has been sanctioned to supply Heart-Lung machines to government hospitals in Tirupati, Kadapa, Anantapur, and Guntur, paving the way for open-heart surgeries in Anantapur to serve Rayalaseema.
These will supplement existing units in Kurnool, Guntur, Vijayawada, and Vizag. Furthermore, an allocation of Rs 6 crore will fund advanced 2D Echo machines at Kurnool and Guntur GGHs, alongside ICU monitors, defibrillators, and surgical gear statewide.
Through the NTR Vaidya Seva Trust, the government has provided 340 types of free cardiology and cardiovascular treatments valued at Rs 1,767.79 crore since 2024, including Rs 323 crore disbursed in FY 2026–27. Demographic analysis of 1,41,934 pre-authorisations between September 2025 and August 2026 showed that patients aged 50–59 formed the beneficiary bracket at 29.58 per cent, followed by those aged 60–69 at 25.18% and 40–49 at 18.49%.
Under the STEMI emergency response programme, 5,111 acute heart attack patients with free Tenecteplase injections, achieving a 95.69 per cent statewide survival rate.