Vijayawada: Praja Arogya Vedika (PAV) and Jana Vignana Vedika (JVV) will jointly organise a roundtable at Balotsav Bhavan here on Sunday demanding that the State government maintain medical education under public sector and continue protecting the system of public health. Retired IAS officer Dr PV Ramesh, along with eminent doctors, medical students, and other stakeholders, will take part in the deliberations.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, KS Lakshmana Rao, former MLC and JVV State President, along with PAV Organising Secretary G Vijaya Prakash, released the roundtable poster. Rao opposed the government’s decision to assign 10 medical colleges to a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), stating it undermines accessible provincial health services.

He recalled that, under the Central government’s directive, each parliamentary constituency should have a medical college. Of the 17 sanctioned colleges in the state, five are currently operational, while 10 others are proposed under PPP, requiring Rs 4,500 crore for construction, he said.

Additionally, Rao mentioned that the construction of medical colleges in underdeveloped regions such as Adoni, Parvathipuram, and Markapur is currently in progress. He expressed concern that privatising these colleges would limit access to medical education and healthcare services in these areas.

Praja Arogya Vedika Organising Secretary Vijaya Prakash added that the PPP model would primarily benefit financially privileged students, leaving out those from poor and middleclass backgrounds.

JVV leaders G Muralidhar, K Srinivas, and others were present.