Vijayawada: Health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav on Thursday approved the construction of 4,472 Village Health Clinic (VHC) buildings across the state at a cost of Rs 1,129 crore.

This initiative is a significant step toward strengthening rural healthcare infrastructure. Currently, 10,032 VHCs operate in the state, but only 1,086 are housed in government-owned buildings.

The rest function in rented premises, causing operational challenges. The new project aims to address this by providing dedicated buildings for VHCs to better serve patients.

The medical and health department announced that the minister has greenlit the construction, with a one-year completion target. The Central government will fund 80 per cent of the project cost, with the state and grant-based sources covering the remainder. Additionally, 2,309 incomplete buildings from the previous government’s tenure will be completed.

Srikakulam will receive the highest number of clinics with 284, followed by Nandyal (272), Eluru (263), Konaseema (242), Krishna (240), Alluri Sitarama Raju (239), Chittoor (229), Bapatla (211), Parvathipuram Manyam (205), Prakasam and Nellore (203 each), and Anakapalli (200). In Rayalaseema, over 100 new buildings will be constructed in Tirupati, Kurnool, Annamayya, Anantapur, and Sri Sathya Sai districts.

Health minister Satya Kumar Yadav thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Central government’s substantial support in advancing rural healthcare in Andhra Pradesh.