Health Schemes: AP Spending nearly Rs 6,458 Crore A Year
The minister dismissed the allegations that the scheme was being sidelined. “The facts placed in the house clearly scotched such propaganda,” he said while replying to MLA Mohammed Naseer during Question Hour.
VIJAYAWADA: The expenditure as also the number of beneficiaries under the Dr NTR Vaidya Seva scheme registered a major increase during the term of the TD-led alliance government, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav stated in the assembly on Friday.
The minister dismissed the allegations that the scheme was being sidelined. “The facts placed in the house clearly scotched such propaganda,” he said while replying to MLA Mohammed Naseer during Question Hour.
He stated that in the first year of the present government, the number of beneficiaries under the scheme increased by 6.68 per cent to 13,42,673, compared to 12,53,065 in 2023-24. This, he said, showed an increase of approximately 90,000 patients. The government’s fund allocations for the scheme also grew by 7.88 per cent during the period.
The minister explained, “Between June 2024 and Sept 1, 2025, spending under the health scheme reached nearly Rs 6,458 crore. Of this, Rs 4,290.05 crore pertains to 2024-25. Out of this, the government has already cleared Rs 3,732.22 crore, while Rs 557.83 crore remains to be paid.”
Bills worth Rs 2,168.16 crore are under scrutiny. The overall outlay in the first 15 months of the alliance rule is expected to reach Rs 6,500 crore, up from the earlier monthly expenditure of about Rs 300 crore to over Rs 400 crore now.”
Yadav said the government had honoured its commitment to promptly reimburse network hospitals while also paying off Rs 2,221.60 crore in arrears left behind by the previous government.
Responding to questions on irregularities, Yadav said the alliance government has intensified its vigil over network hospitals. In 2023-24, the YSRC government penalised 28 hospitals a total of Rs 7.68 crore, but recovering only Rs 3.75 crore (49 per cent). In contrast, the present government imposed Rs 22.74 crore in fines and recovered Rs 19.35 crore (85 per cent), he said.
The minister said a new hybrid health insurance scheme covering the state’s entire residents would be rolled out soon. Under it, the 1.43 crore below-poverty-line (BPL) families and 20 lakh families above the poverty line would be provided an insurance coverage of up to Rs 2.5 lakh through insurers. Expenses beyond this, up to Rs 25 lakh, would be borne by the government through the Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Trust, he explained.
The minister also highlighted the steps taken for Guntur GGH, saying dues of Rs 18.77 crore under the NTR Vaidya Seva scheme had been cleared, with another Rs 4.09 crore pending. A modern PET-CT scanner has been installed to upgrade the hospital as a Level-1 cancer care centre.
Funds were also released for the purchase of advanced equipment for the upcoming MCH Block, which is being developed with alumni support, he said.
