Andhra Pradesh’s Medical and Health Minister, Satya Kumar Yadav, proudly announced to the State Assembly that the government has made filling doctor vacancies in tribal areas its utmost priority. This commitment is clearly visible in the recent progress.
Responding to queries from assembly members on Tuesday, the Minister detailed the proactive steps taken to address ongoing staff shortages, which often arise from retirements. “We are conducting continuous walk-in interviews to ensure seamless public health services and are also expediting promotions,” he explained. Since the new coalition government took office, 306 Civil Assistant Surgeon positions were approved for 153 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across tribal regions. Impressively, 131 of the 138 previously vacant posts, representing 90% of the total, have been filled in the last five months. Efforts are actively underway to swiftly fill the remaining 31 positions.
Significant progress is also being made in medical education. Mr. Satya Kumar revealed plans to upgrade the Markapur hospital in Prakasam district into a teaching hospital. He noted that the previous administration’s mismanagement and resource shortfalls had hampered its development, with only ₹47 crore spent. The current government has now committed to establishing a new 625-bed medical college in Markapur under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to rectify these issues.
The Minister further assured the House that approximately 250 in-service doctors, who are currently pursuing postgraduate studies, are expected to return in November. They will be strategically assigned to hospitals most in need of their expertise. Additionally, plans are advancing to bolster healthcare facilities in Kanigiri, Kovuru, and Buchireddypalem.
Revolutionizing Heart Attack Treatment
Addressing specialized care, Mr. Yadav highlighted the success of the STEMI protocol for heart attack patients, which provides life-saving injections valued at ₹45,000 free of charge. Nearly 4,000 patients have already made remarkable recoveries thanks to this initiative. However, he acknowledged that integrating STEMI — the State’s program for managing ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction using a hub-and-spoke model for “golden hour” treatment in rural areas — at the PHC level still faces challenges due to a scarcity of specialist doctors.
Finally, the Minister underscored another major achievement: the coalition government’s efforts have successfully reduced the maternal mortality rate from 38.8% to an encouraging 30%.