VIJAYAWADA: A letter from G Lakshmi Shah, CEO of Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Trust, addressed to the Director of Medical Education (DME), has sparked a political debate and widespread discussions on social media.
The letter proposes reducing the number of medical procedures covered under the Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva scheme from 3,257 to 1,949. Shah urged the DME to form specialised teams to review the remaining procedures’ relevance and assess their impact on healthcare services.
The CEO requested the creation of specialty-wise teams of doctors to study both the NTR Vaidya Seva Scheme and PMJAY procedures, suggesting a potential alignment of the State’s healthcare insurance with the national PMJAY scheme. This proposed reduction in procedures has stirred claims on social media, with the YSRC party posting on platform X, accusing the government of weakening the scheme. Dated September 30, the letter quickly went viral, raising concerns about the future of healthcare under Arogyasri. Dr Ambati Naga Radhakrishna Yadav, Chairman of the YSRC NTR District Doctors Wing, criticised the letter, arguing that aligning NTR Vaidya Scheme with PMJAY would harm healthcare access for the poor.
He pointed out that the scheme’s treatment-based package system has been more effective than PMJAY’s disease-based approach, as it limits exploitation and ensures comprehensive care.
Yadav said the YSRC had previously expanded Arogyasri by adding more procedures due to its success and that neighbouring States had adopted similar models. He called on the government to maintain the quality of healthcare provided to the poor without diminishing Arogyasri’s benefits. In response, the CEO said no procedures had been officially reduced, explaining that the proposal was part of internal discussions aimed at aligning with PMJAY.