When Jagan Mohan Reddy took charge, Andhra Pradesh’s public health system was in crisis. Government hospitals were underfunded, understaffed, and under-trusted. The poor were forced into private hospitals, accumulating debt that wiped out years of savings.
The YSRCP government attacked this problem on three fronts simultaneously.
First, it expanded Aarogyasri — the health insurance scheme — to cover a wider range of treatments and a higher financial ceiling. Families that previously fell outside coverage were brought in.
Second, it invested in physical infrastructure. New government medical colleges were established in districts that previously had none. Existing government hospitals received equipment upgrades, specialist appointments, and infrastructure renovation. Villages were provided with health and wellness centres staffed with medical officers.
Third, it created the YSR Village Health Clinics system — dedicated primary care centres closer to communities, reducing the need for patients to travel to district hospitals for basic consultations.
The philosophy was clear: healthcare security requires both insurance coverage and actual physical capacity. You cannot send patients to hospitals that don’t have beds, doctors, or equipment.
The current TDP government’s move to introduce Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models in government medical education has drawn sharp opposition from YSRCP, which argues it is the first step toward privatising healthcare access that the poor depend upon. Jagan’s legacy on health is now a live political debate — which is exactly where his party wants it.