Union Minister Nadda & CM Naidu Unveil INR 249 Cr Healthcare Infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh

Developed at an estimated total cost of INR 249 crore, the new facilities are expected to add 500 critical care beds to the State's healthcare infrastructure.

In a move to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda, launched 10 Critical Care Blocks (CCBs) and 12 Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHLs) under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) in Andhra Pradesh.

The new facilities were inaugurated in the presence of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, and the Minister for Health, Family Welfare & Medical Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Satya Kumar Yadav, alongside other senior state officials.

Developed at an estimated total cost of INR 249 crore, the new facilities have added 500 critical care beds to the State's healthcare infrastructure.

They include advanced operation theatres and ultrasound facilities, besides specialised services in cardiology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery.

These facilities are aimed at making advanced emergency medical care more accessible to poor and middle-class families and reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for specialised treatment.

Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister Nadda said, “It is not simply an infrastructure inauguration, but an important step towards building a stronger health security architecture for Andhra Pradesh and the nation.”

He stated that Critical Care Blocks and Integrated Public Health Laboratories represent two essential dimensions of a resilient health system, which includes the capacity to save lives when a patient is critically ill, and the capacity to detect and respond to disease threats before they become major public health emergencies.

The 10 Critical Care Blocks inaugurated under the programme are located at GMC Kadapa, ACSR GMC Nellore, GMC Srikakulam, AMC Visakhapatnam, GMC Ongole, District Hospital Anakapalli, GMC Rajamahendravaram, KMC Kurnool, District Hospital Hindupur and SMC Vijayawada.

In addition, the 12 Integrated Public Health Laboratories are located at Area Hospital Seethampeta, Area Hospital Guntakal, Area Hospital Palamaner, Area Hospital Aganampudi, Area Hospital Nandigama, Area Hospital Chirala, Area Hospital Araku, Area Hospital Narasaraopeta, Area Hospital Banaganapalli, Area Hospital Anaparthy, Area Hospital Tuni and Area Hospital Gudur.

Nadda emphasised that “We can no longer think of hospitals only in terms of the number of beds. A resilient health system must have critical-care capacity, oxygen and medical-gas systems, isolation facilities, trained manpower, laboratory capacity and the ability to detect outbreaks early while maintaining routine health services.”

Under PM-ABHIM, the Government of India has sanctioned 631 Critical Care Blocks across States and Union Territories, creating a nationwide network of critical-care capacity.

For Andhra Pradesh, the Government of India has approved INR 1,271.80 crore for the five-year scheme period under four key components, including Critical Care Blocks, Integrated Public Health Laboratories, Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and Rural Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.

“Together, these components create a continuum of care and public health preparedness,” he said.

The Union Minister noted PM-ABHIM represents a fundamental shift in India's approach to public health infrastructure.

“The objective is not merely to build more facilities. It is to create a health system that is: prepared, connected, resilient and capable of responding to future health emergencies,” he said.

Under the PM-ABHIM , the Union Government has sanctioned 24 Critical Care Blocks with an allocation of INR 647.51 crore, while 26 IPHLs have been sanctioned for the state with an allocation of INR 32.50 crore.

The facilities are aimed at strengthening emergency care, early diagnosis and disease surveillance across Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking at the event, CM Naidu stated that the Sanjeevani programme would prove to be a game-changer in healthcare, and Health records of citizens would be digitised from January 1.

Naidu further noted that Amaravati was being developed as a hub for future technologies and requested Nadda’s support for national recognition of the proposed Quantum Bio Valley, which is mainly aimed at a dedicated biomedical infrastructure.

He also said the country’s first quantum computer would be launched in Amaravati and that youth were being trained in artificial intelligence.

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