VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh is set to witness a significant expansion in the AYUSH healthcare sector, with proposals for new national institutes, medical colleges, and integrated hospitals.
Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav announced that the state government has urged the Centre to allocate one of the three newly announced All India Institutes of Ayurveda (AIIA) to Andhra Pradesh.
Given that AIIMS is already located in Mangalagiri, the state has requested that the AIIA be established in Tirupati. The minister expressed confidence that the Centre would respond positively.
Meanwhile, land has been finalised for two major national-level institutions in Amaravati’s jurisdiction.
These include the Apex Naturopathy National Institute at Shakamuru, with an investment of `750 crore, and the Central Research Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy (CRYON) at Nandimpalem in Guntur district, with `100 crore sanctioned.
The government is also moving ahead with plans to establish two new Ayurveda colleges in Dharmavaram and Kakinada, and a Unani medical college in Proddatur.
Land acquisition has been completed in Dharmavaram, while sites are being identified in other locations.
Construction tenders will be invited soon, with each college expected to cost around `70 crore.
In addition, six integrated AYUSH hospitals will be set up across districts including Srikakulam, ASR (Paderu), NTR (Nandigama), Guntur (Tenali), Prakasam (Giddaluru), and Tirupati. Each hospital will cost approximately `15 crore, totaling `90 crore.
Recruitment is also underway, with 358 posts to be filled under the National AYUSH Mission, covering doctors, therapists, yoga instructors, and support staff. Another 140 teaching and non-teaching posts will be filled on a contractual basis in Ayurveda and Homoeopathy colleges.
The Minister highlighted that the Centre has already sanctioned `165 crore under the National AYUSH Mission, a first for the state, and assured that more funds would follow.
He criticised the previous YSRCP government for neglecting AYUSH services between 2021–24, while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special focus and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s initiative in strengthening traditional medicine alongside allopathy.
The Minister also revealed that from April 1, 2026, the state plans to roll out a Universal Health Policy under the NTR Health Trust, offering insurance-based medical services. Under the ‘Sanjeevani’ scheme, free blood tests will be provided to all citizens.