AP To Develop 16 De-Addiction Centres at Rs 9.86 Crore Expense
Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Kadapa centres to be upgraded as excellence hubs
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government would develop 16 de-addiction centres at a cost of Rs 9.86 crore and develop the centres in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Kadapa as ‘centres of excellence’.
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said this here on Thursday to mark the International Day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
He said the state would develop de-addiction centres located in Kurnool, Tirupati, Guntur, Srikakulam, Nandyal, East Godavari, Prakasam, Anakapalli, West Godavari, Palnadu, Chittoor, Sri Satya Sai, Bapatla, Visakhapatnam and NTR Kadapa to provide medical treatment and provide counselling.
Health joint secretary Ronanki Gopalakrishna said that out of Rs 9.86 crore, some Rs 8 crore would be used for furniture and meeting other requirements in the de-abdication centres. With the remaining amount, a biofeedback machine and other medical equipment would be installed.
The biofeedback machine would be used to address mental tension and depression among the addicts. Such cases/addicts would be referred to the centres of excellence having more amenities.
Director of medical education A. Vishnuvardhan said that after the alliance government assumed power in the state, it majorly curbed the ganja sale. “In 2025-26, some 44,860 patients got medical treatment free of cost in the out-patient ward while 3,255 patients took treatment through the in-patient ward.
In 2026-27, from April to May, 12,161 persons got treatment through the in-patient ward and 1,018 through the out-patient ward. In Kurnool district, the highest number of 5,222 patients took the treatment last year.
Satya Kumar Yadav said that at present, 25 de-addiction centres were functioning in the state, where doctors provided treatment to those addicted to ganja, opium, sedative injection etc while trained professionals were providing psychological counselling.
He said the current need is to fill up 346 posts in these de-addiction centres. More than 200 posts were lying vacant since 2024 and the present government started filling them up. So far, 57 posts were filled and notification issued for 123 posts. These and an additional 57 posts would be filled up soon.
