Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu directed the officials to implement the Universal Health Policy from April 1, 2026 in the State. He reviewed the medical and health department at the state secretariat on Friday. The Chief Minister declared that the policy would be applicable to all the citizens irrespective of their income. As part of the policy, all the BPL families will get cashless medical services up to ₹25 lakh a year while APL families up to ₹2.5 lakh a year.
During the review, the Chief Minister discussed the progress relating to medical colleges under the PPP model, the Sanjeevani project in Kuppam, and the plans for the Universal Health Scheme. He asked the officials to make an analysis of disease-related expenditure across different regions of the state. He explained that preventive and curative policies in public health should help reduce government spending on the medical sector.
Medical colleges are being developed to extend the scope of free healthcare for the poor, said Chandrababu Naidu. While the PPP model is being adopted, such colleges would be overseen and regulated by the government. He said advanced medical facilities available so far in cities would become available in rural areas. He said 70 per cent of hospital beds would be provided free of cost to poor patients.
He reviewed the progress of the medical colleges in Adoni, Markapuram, Madanapalle, and Pulivendula that are coming up in the first phase of PPP. He instructed the officials to expedite the work. Four stages of the tender process are over, and the remaining work will be completed by the end of next month. Each college has been allocated 50 acres. The CM suggested that medical colleges and hospitals be constructed in 25 acres while nursing, paramedical, dental, Ayurveda, wellness centers, and yoga centers be established in the remaining 25 acres. He instructed the officials to study the successful models of hospitals across the country and ensure quality service delivery. He ordered the rating system for the hospitals and said the standards must follow the NITI Aayog guidelines.
The Sanjeevani project now being piloted in Kuppam would greatly enhance the state's medical system and possibly act as a model for the nation, the Chief Minister said. The project is being implemented with support from the Tata-Bill Gates Foundation. Under this programme, public health would be monitored with the help of digital health cards. He instructed the officials to collect health data of 3.38 lakh people in Kuppam and prepare an action plan for data analytics on them. He also instructed them to accord priority to yoga and develop a naturopathy hospital.
According to the officials, the testing is going on for the registered people in Kuppam and the disease profiles are being prepared. They said 49,000 patients have already been given digital health records through the Sanjeevani Digital Nerve Centre. This project will be extended to the entire Chittoor district from January 1, 2026. Officials also told the CM that 12 lakh claims have been received from hospitals under NTR Vaidya Seva, which costs ₹330 crore per month. Minister Satyakumar along with other department officials attended the review meeting.
