Give Amaravati Quantum Bio Valley National Project Status: Naidu
He thanked Modi and Nadda for supporting Andhra Pradesh’s healthcare initiatives.
Vijayawada:Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday asked the Centre to accord national project status to the proposed Quantum Bio Valley in Amaravati, making it clear that AP is positioning its capital Amaravati as a hub for future technologies and advanced healthcare.
He underlined that Amaravati will host the country’s first quantum computer. Accordingly, he pointed out that AP’s youth are being trained in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
The CM put forth his Quantum Bio Valley proposal at a function on Saturday, where he and Union health minister J.P. Nadda jointly inaugurated and virtually launched 10 critical care blocks and 12 integrated public health laboratories across Andhra Pradesh involving an investment of ₹249 crore. They two visited the newly established critical care block and laboratory at the old government hospital in Vijayawada.
The 10 critical care blocks have added 500 critical-care beds across the state. Equipped with advanced operation theatres and ultrasound facilities, these blocks will provide specialised services in cardiology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery. The facilities are expected to reduce the need for poor and middle-class patients to travel long distances for emergency and specialised treatment.
Naidu pointed out that the Centre has brought about several transformative changes in healthcare during the past 12 years, including more than doubling the medical seats in the country from 51,000. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the country’s healthcare system for India’s role in supplying vaccines globally during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chief Minister highlighted the development of AIIMS Mangalagiri, Jan Aushadhi centres and ABHA health cards, besides Andhra Pradesh’s growing pharmaceutical sector. The state is promoting medical-device manufacturing through the MedTech Park, he pointed out.
Calling for a change in lifestyle, Naidu urged people to treat their kitchens as pharmacies and food as medicine. Yoga, pranayama and meditation should become part of daily life, he said. He underlined that traditional health practices should complement modern technology in building a healthier society.
The CM said the “double-engine” government at the Centre and in the state is driving development through better coordination. He thanked Modi and Nadda for supporting Andhra Pradesh’s healthcare initiatives.
Naidu highlighted his government’s efforts in irrigation, including the completion of Polavaram and the use of Pattiseema to bring Godavari water to the Krishna delta. “With Centre’s support, AP’s determination and people’s participation, Andhra Pradesh will become the country’s No. 1 state,” he asserted.
Those who attended the programme included state health minister Satya Kumar Yadav, BJP AP president P.V.N. Madhav, MPs Kesineni Sivanath, public representatives and senior health officials.
The meeting venue witnessed loud cheers and applause from medical students during Naidu’s speech. At the end of the programme, Naidu joined Nadda for a selfie on the stage amid applause.
