VIJAYAWADA: At a State-level conference organised by Janachaitanya Vedika at MB Bhavan in Vijayawada on Sunday, prominent leaders, including retired IAS officer PV Ramesh, called for an immediate halt to the privatisation of 10 government medical colleges under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model as outlined in GO No. 590.
Ramesh, the chief guest, urged the Andhra Pradesh government to directly manage these institutions, criticising the PPP policy as a violation of the constitutional right to life. He accused the government of evading its duty to provide education, healthcare, and nutrition, warning that neglecting public health would stifle economic growth.
Ramesh described the PPP model as a pretext to transfer public assets to private entities under the guise of fund shortage, emphasising that provision of comprehensive healthcare to people is a primary responsibility of government.
CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna slammed the coalition government for handing over critical sectors to private players, questioning the Chief Minister’s role if all sectors are privatised. He accused the government of misleading the public by portraying profit-driven privatisation as development.
Similarly, CPM State secretary V Srinivasa Rao criticised the government for weakening the public sector while offering concessions to private entities under the pretext of Vision 2047.
Senior Congress leader N Tulasi Reddy alleged that the coalition government was aggressively privatising public resources for commissions, undermining the production of skilled doctors through public medical education.
AP Medicos Association president Alla Venkateswarlu highlighted that redirecting even a fraction of the incentives given to projects like Google’s Data Centre to healthcare could generate significant employment opportunities. He accused the government of favouring corporate interests despite previously advocating for the public.
Former MLC KS Lakshmana Rao noted that most under-construction medical colleges are in backward regions, and citing fund shortage for public health reflects the government’s irresponsibility.
Former minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao termed the continuation of the previous government’s flawed policies unfortunate, warning that the PPP model could lead to the coalition government’s downfall.
The conference, chaired by V Lakshmana Reddy, passed a resolution demanding the immediate withdrawal of GO No. 590, and the cessation of GO Nos. 107 and 108, related to self-financed medical colleges.
