Former Principal Secretary(Health) of Andhra Pradesh P.V. Ramesh addressing the State-level seminar in virtual mode in Vijayawada on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: G.N. Rao
Former State Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, P.V. Ramesh, on Sunday (April 20) said health should be recognised as a fundamental right of citizens.
Speaking at a conference on ‘Privatisation of Medical Colleges and Analysis of Andhra Pradesh Health Budget’, jointly organised by Praja Arogya Vedika (PAV), Jana Vignana Vedika and Makineni Basava Punnayya Vignana Kendram, Mr. Ramesh insisted that providing healthcare to the public was the government responsibility. He said it was a matter of concern that the health sector in the State did not show any improvement despite the change of guard. Successive governments have shirked responsibility resulting in the growing role of the private sector in the health segment, he said
Citing Kerala as a model of India’s healthcare system, he said compared to other States, Kerala had lower mortality rate, better medical facilities, accessibility, affordability and free healthcare for people of that State.
He was critical of the State government decision to transfer the government hospital in Chittoor district to Apollo Hospitals and its plan to operate 10 medical colleges under Public-Private Partnership (PPPs) mode. He said the practice of collecting crores of rupees through capitation fees and allocating seats, irrespective of merit, was unfair.
Stating that privatisation of the health sector was leading to high costs which were unaffordable to the common man, he said one in every four farmers in the State was driven to end their life due to inability to afford healthcare costs. He said development was not about building roads, buying luxury cars or showing GDP figures, but it was about ensuring that people across the State live healthy lives.
PAV’s State general secretary T. Kameshwara Rao said privatisation through PPP mode would allow college managements to sell half of the seats leading to exorbitant fees. This would reduce the extent of reservations by half, limit opportunities for students from under-privileged sections to become doctors, shift the focus in medical sector from service to profits and make healthcare inaccessible to the poor.
PAV’s State president M.V. Ramanayya criticised the ‘self-financing model’ for medical seats under GO 107 and 108 and said the TDP-led coalition government had failed to keep its promise to repeal these G.O.s.
David Sudhakar, a budget analyst, said though the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends allocation of at least 6 % of GDP to healthcare, the Union Government spends less than 1.9 % on it.
Former national president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) G. Samaram said sadly commercial gains were replacing the service-oriented approach which was fading.
State president of IMA V. Ramprasad, advocate Tagore Yadav, prominent cardiologist A. Poornanand and vascular surgeon Makineni Kiran participated.
Published – April 20, 2025 08:37 pm IST