Five Multi-Specialty Hospitals in Tribal Areas to be Ready by Year-End

VIJAYAWADA: The state government would operationalise five multi-specialty hospitals in remote tribal regions by the end of this year, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav informed the AP assembly on Friday.

Replying to a question raised by member Nimmaka Jayakrishna, the minister said the government has accorded top priority to strengthening healthcare services in far-flung tribal areas. The hospitals, he said, are being set up at Seethampeta, Parvathipuram, Dornala, Rampachodavaram and Buttayagudem in a phased manner.

The hospitals would be fully functional by December.

The minister noted that while the previous government had issued administrative sanctions for the projects, construction did not progress at the desired pace. In the case of Seethampeta, `12 crore had been spent earlier on building works. The present government allocated an additional `15 crore.

Plans are to complete the remaining works, estimated at `11 crore, by June this year.

The Dornala multi-specialty hospital building is scheduled for completion by July, while works at the remaining centres would be completed by the end of 2026.

The minister said the shortage of doctors in secondary-level hospitals  including area hospitals, community health centres and district hospitals would be fully addressed by 2028.

The government has directly recruited 300 doctors for secondary hospitals. In addition, around 600 more doctors have joined under in-service and senior resident categories. Steps are being taken to ensure that there is no doctor shortage in secondary hospitals by 2028.

At the Seethampeta hospital, 21 out of the sanctioned 24 doctor posts have been filled. The government is simultaneously upgrading infrastructure and making essential equipment and machinery available, resulting in a steady rise in Out-Patient (OP) and In-Patient (IP) services.

The minister said the OP services at Seethampeta hospital increased by nearly 6,000 cases in 2024-25 compared to the previous financial year. To meet the growing demand, five additional beds have recently been added to the dialysis unit there.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to equitable healthcare, Satya Kumar Yadav said focused interventions in tribal belts would significantly improve access to quality medical services for vulnerable communities.