TD Promises Health Coverage For Every Family

Nellore: The Andhra Pradesh coalition government is committed to making healthcare accessible for all through its newly approved universal health policy, said Dr. Z. Shivaprasad, state president of TD’s medical wing and chairman of AP Inland Waterways Authority. Addressing the media at the TD district office here on Saturday, Dr Shivaprasad said the universal health policy, usually seen only in developed nations, would provide cashless treatment worth up to ₹ 25 lakh per family per year across 2,493 hospitals and 31 super-specialty departments covering 3,257 procedures, benefitting 1.63 crore families in the state. The policy, to be implemented in hybrid mode through insurance companies, aims to protect citizens from excessive medical expenses and unforeseen health emergencies, he said. “The government will bear an annual financial burden of ₹ 641 crore, ensuring free healthcare for nearly five crore people under Ayushman Bharat and the Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Trust,” Dr. Shivaprasad said.

He praised Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for his foresight in introducing the policy, citing rising risks of lifestyle diseases and infectious outbreaks in the coming decade. Dr Shivaprasad said the government is also advancing medical education reforms by promoting new medical colleges under a PPP model, ensuring better infrastructure, teaching, and healthcare delivery. Criticising the previous YSRC government, Dr. Shivaprasad alleged that it failed to pay hospital dues, left Aarogyasri with arrears of ₹4,000 crore, and stalled progress on medical colleges. “YSRC leaders have no moral right to speak on healthcare, given their failures during the Covid-19 crisis,” he remarked. Dr. Shivaprasad asserted that the coalition government’s historic decision would extend health insurance to every household, ushering in “a new era of quality, universal healthcare in Andhra Pradesh.”