Health minister decries Jagan’s falsehoods on PPP

Vijayawada: Minister for medical and health Y Satya Kumar Yadav on Friday defended the state government’s decision to build new medical colleges under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and questioned the YSRCP for opposing it.

Addressing the media here, Satya Kumar Yadav accused former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy of spreading falsehoods about the initiative. “What is wrong in setting up medical colleges through private partnership? After 33 years, those colleges will come back to the government,” he said.

The minister said that once completed, the new colleges would add 1,500 MBBS seats across the state, of which 725 would be completely free. “These colleges will make medical education accessible and improve healthcare in backward districts,” he said.

He alleged that it was the previous YSRCP government that had introduced a self-financing model for new medical colleges. “The same person who brought the scheme is now criticising us,” he said, accusing Jagan of misleading the public for political gain.

He questioned why the previous government had failed to complete construction of medical colleges despite spending hundreds of crores on projects such as Rishikonda. “Rishikonda buildings were raised with huge sums, but the medical colleges were left incomplete,” he said.

He pointed out that the medical college in Narsipatnam remained unfinished even though Rs 500 crore had been sanctioned. “Jagan spent only Rs 20 crore and called it a medical college. He does not even understand what a real medical college means,” the minister said. The new government has prioritised people’s welfare and healthcare infrastructure. It is building colleges, hospitals, and modern medical facilities that will serve the poor, he said.

The minister criticised the YSRCP for avoiding debate in the Assembly. “They did not have the courage to discuss it openly. They prefer propaganda over facts,” he said.