In a significant development, private medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh have announced their intention to support the widespread strike launched by a consortium of private hospitals on Friday, October 10, 2025. This decision, conveyed by the A.P. Private Medical and Dental Colleges Management’s Association in a letter to the Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva Trust CEO, underscores the severe financial challenges faced by these institutions.
The association explicitly stated that its member colleges are struggling to provide vital medical services to patients covered under the Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva scheme due to a critical shortage of funds from the State government. While they are currently refraining from active participation in the strike due to ongoing Post Graduate and Undergraduate University examinations, they are lending their full support to the A.P. Speciality Hospitals’ Association (ASHA).
The letter further warned that if the outstanding dues from the government are not cleared promptly, the medical colleges would be compelled to join the strike directly. The association represents fifteen medical colleges across the state.
Meanwhile, ASHA President K. Vijay Kumar confirmed robust participation in the strike, reporting 100% involvement from network hospitals throughout Andhra Pradesh. He noted a sharp decline in pre-authorization requests sent to the Trust. Typically, around 8,500 requests are submitted daily; however, on Saturday, this number plummeted to approximately 3,000. These pre-authorization requests are crucial, as they are sent to the Trust for approval after a patient’s initial diagnosis at a network hospital, before further treatment can proceed under the scheme.
Dr. Vijay Kumar also addressed the government’s previous claims that the strike had minimal impact on medical services. He clarified that while a few government and private medical colleges continue to operate under the scheme, these figures do not accurately reflect the extensive disruption caused by the comprehensive participation of private network hospitals.
The state government has yet to respond to the association’s urgent demand for the clearance of an estimated ₹2,700 crore in pending dues.