VIJAYAWADA: The NDA government has significantly scaled up spending under the NTR Vaidya Seva Scheme, raising monthly expenditure to Rs 310 crore from Rs 193 crore during the previous regime, Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav said.
The 60% increase in spending amounts to an additional Rs 2,124 crore per annum for the implementation of the scheme, highlighting the NDA government’s commitment to strengthening public healthcare delivery.
According to the Health Minister, the number of beneficiaries under the scheme has also risen sharply. While the earlier Aarogyasri scheme served an average of 96,205 patients per month, the Vaidya Seva supports 1,16,624 patients, marking a 21% growth.
In just 19 months, the coalition government has spent Rs 6,530 crore for implementing the scheme, already accounting for 56% of the total expenditure incurred in five years by the previous regime, he explained.
Satya Kumar highlighted reforms in the 108 ambulance service, which has undergone a major transformation since June 2025, when Bhavya Health Services Pvt Ltd took over operations under stricter tender rules.
Ambulances now reach patients within a stipulated timeframe. In urban areas, they arrive within 18 minutes of making a call with only a 37 second average delay; in rural areas, within 23 minutes with a 13 second delay; and in tribal regions, often two minutes earlier than required.
Presently, 95.58% of patients are transported to hospitals within 65 minutes, compared to just 15% during the previous regime, when delays averaged nearly two hours, the Healath Minister elaborated.
Meanwhile, 104 mobile medical units will soon conduct 41 types of diagnostic tests at patients’ doorstep, expanding preventive healthcare access across the State, as per the directives of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu,
Satya Kumar concluded that continuous monitoring and stricter accountability have brought visible improvements in public healthcare. He described the
NTR Vaidya Seva, 108 ambulance service, and 104 mobile medical units as “critical lifelines for the people of Andhra Pradesh,” urging officials to maintain vigilance and ensure quality service delivery.