Tirupati: YSRCP senior leader and former MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy claimed that former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy gave top priority to education and health for the welfare of poor people, while speaking to the media here on Monday. Reminding that Jagan had started 17 new government medical colleges during his tenure for the benefit of poor students, he criticised that the coalition government is trying to privatise these sectors instead of continuing welfare measures.

Bhumana reminded that in Tirupati, TTD Sri Padmavathi Children’s Super Speciality Hospital was developed with world-class facilities. ‘A heart care centre for children was launched in 2021 and heart transplant surgeries were introduced in 2022 with the support of Apollo Hospitals. From October 2021 till now, the hospital performed more than 3,000 open-heart surgeries and 15 heart transplants. During the coalition rule, only five heart transplants were done and even 1,000 surgeries were not completed,’ he pointed out.

Bhumana added that 80 percent of the works at Padmavathi Super Speciality Hospital were completed during Jagan rule, but the coalition government failed to complete the remaining 20 percent works. He also said that modernisation works worth Rs 200 crore were taken up at SVIMS Hospital, along with a cancer hospital, PG hostel, diagnostic block at Ruia, and new neurology and cardiology blocks, 80 beds IP block at SVIMS were also completed under Jagan tenure and many works have now been stopped, including hostel building at Padmavathi Medical College.