VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to ensure that construction of medical colleges under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model begins in the State within a month.
In the first phase, works will commence at Markapuram, Madanapalle, Pulivendula and Adoni, followed by six more medical colleges in the second phase at Amalapuram, Bapatla, Penukonda, Narsipatnam, Palakollu and Parvathipuram, he said.
Reviewing the Sanjeevani Project and Population Management Programme at the State Secretariat on Wednesday, the Chief Minister announced that the AP State Health Investment Policy 2026-31 will soon be introduced with seven pillars.
The seven pillars include medical colleges, multispeciality hospitals, medtech manufacturing, startups and innovation, medical tourism with integrated wellness facilities, skilling, and establishment of medicities in Amaravati and Visakhapatnam.
Naidu also instructed officials to write to the Union AYUSH Ministry seeking approval for a naturopathy institute in Amaravati. The officials informed him that the Sanjeevani Project has already provided services to 1.08 lakh people, distributed medicines to 2.8 lakh beneficiaries, and conducted 19,000 medical tests.
On population management, Naidu noted that AP’s fertility rate has fallen to 1.5, below the target of 2.1. Kadapa district recorded the highest fertility rate at 1.99, while Visakhapatnam registered the lowest at 1.32. He laid emphasis on promotion of larger family structures, discouraging micro-family culture, and suggested incentives for joint families. Balanced nutrition, preventive health care, and promotion of Ayurveda and naturopathy were highlighted as key priorities.