VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has positioned the ambitious Mega Global Medicity Project in Amaravati as the flagship of a sweeping health transformation across the State, unveiling an extensive health strategy during a detailed media presentation at the Secretariat on Monday.
This landmark initiative, driven by a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, will see the development of a 200-acre health hub in the capital, with 100 acres dedicated to cutting-edge healthcare services, 40 acres for residential zones, 40 acres for commercial development, and 20 acres for service infrastructure.
Aligned with the Centre’s vision to establish 25 medicities nationwide, the project is poised to elevate health tourism and infrastructure standards. The Health Department and the CRDA are collaborating closely to bring this vision to life with Naidu engaging the Centre to ensure its success.
He emphasised that adopting healthier lifestyles is key to well-being, urging daily 30-minute walk, regular exercise, yoga and meditation to reduce stress, and improve health outcomes. He highlighted yoga’s global recognition as India’s heritage practice, and called for abandoning tobacco, drugs and alcohol to curb cancer, liver and kidney diseases.
He advocated shifting from junk food and polished rice to millets, unpolished rice, fibre-rich diet, and vegetables, recommending a family of four limit salt to 600 grams, oil to 2 litres, and sugar to under 3 kg a month to avoid health risks.
A 40 per cent reduction in salt intake could slash heart attack rate, he noted, citing Kerala’s sugar-free school meals and Tamil Nadu’s free glucose test strips as examples. The State has also distributed clean cookstoves to Anganwadi centres and draws inspiration from Singapore’s dengue-proof housing model using mosquito-repellent paint.
Addressing district-wise health challenges, Naidu presented data from the past five years, revealing that hypertension and heart issues dominate in East Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Guntur, while lifestyle diseases prevail in Krishna, Chittoor and Nellore.
Pollution and smoking drive asthma and COPD cases in Prakasam, Kurnool and Anantapur, and vector-borne diseases like TB, dengue and malaria are rampant in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Kadapa.
Toxins in water affect Prakasam, Nellore and Chittoor, while tobacco-related cancers (cervical, breast and oral) and anaemia are high in Guntur, Krishna, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and Anantapur.
Alcohol-related illnesses and mental health issues peak in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Kadapa, while rainy-season diseases and road accident deaths are more in Alluri Sitarama Raju, East Godavari, Krishna, Chittoor and Tirupati, he explained.
To tackle these, Naidu outlined a comprehensive strategy. The State aims to complete screenings by June, digitising records via Ayushman Bharat, where 88% of the population is already enrolled.