TDP Govt Issues Orders To Hand Over 10 Medical Colleges To Private Players

Ignoring protests from the public, medical aspirants, and political opponents, the TDP government on Tuesday (September 9) issued orders directing authorities to hand over the development of 10 medical colleges in the State to private players under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

According to the order, medical colleges in Pulivendula, Adoni, Markapuram, and Madanapalle will be taken up in phase one, while those in Penukonda, Palakollu, Amalapuram, Narsipatnam, Bapatla, and Parvathipuram will be developed in phase two.

The Chandrababu Naidu government has drawn sharp criticism for opting for the PPP model. The previous YSRCP government had initiated the construction of 17 government medical colleges, each with a proposed intake of 150 seats. Five of them — Vizianagaram, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Machilipatnam, and Nandyal — were inaugurated in 2023–24, while 10 more were scheduled to begin classes by 2025–26. With the change of government, however, construction came to a halt, dashing the hopes of students who stood to benefit from 2,450 additional MBBS seats over the past two academic years.

Critics argue that handing over these projects to private players weakens the state’s commitment to free and accessible healthcare. Since medical colleges also house teaching hospitals, concerns have been raised that patients will now be charged for consultations, medicines, and diagnostic tests — services otherwise free at government facilities.

Reacting to the decision, YSRCP president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a scathing attack, declaring that Naidu would “go down in history as a man without character.”

Jagan accused the TDP government of looting public assets under the guise of reforms and warned that such “betrayal of the state” would not be forgiven. He alleged that Naidu had reduced cabinet meetings to mere exercises in plunder. “You told false stories before elections about creating wealth, but once in power you began looting public assets like peanuts, passing them to your people for commissions,” he charged.

Jagan warned that the public would not forgive the TDP chief. “For all these sins, the people will not forgive you, Chandrababu Garu. Once we come to power, we will cancel these decisions and bring back the colleges into the government sector,” he declared.

Also read: TDP Sacrificing Public Health for Private Gain? 10 Medical Colleges Pushed Into PPP Model