Amaravati: YSRCP leader and former health minister V Rajini on Tuesday criticised the Andhra Pradesh government for proposing a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to construct medical colleges, saying it would make healthcare and medical education unaffordable.

She accused Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav of “misleading people with rhetorics” and alleged the NDA coalition government was handing over public health infrastructure to private players under the guise of reforms.

The Andhra Pradesh cabinet recently approved construction of 10 new medical colleges under the PPP model. Information and Public Relations Minister K Parthasarathy said these colleges are part of the 17 sanctioned during the previous YSRCP regime.

Rajini said private operators would recover investments with profit margins, burdening patients and students. She highlighted that district-level primary health centres, community health centres, area hospitals, and teaching hospitals serve their purpose only if fully government-run, citing Kerala and Tamil Nadu as examples.

She noted that during 2019-24, despite Covid-19 disruptions, the previous YSRCP government operationalised five new medical colleges and secured permissions for two more. Rajini alleged the TDP-led NDA government pressured MARB to withdraw permissions for Pulivendula college to deny credit to the previous regime.

She urged the government to drop the PPP plan and fully establish and operate medical colleges to ensure affordable healthcare. There was no immediate response from the ruling TDP.