AMARAVATI, May 6: The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday dismissed 51 doctors serving under the Director of Medical Education (DME) for remaining absent from duty without authorisation, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav announced, warning that the state would brook no further negligence in public medical institutions.

The dismissed doctors include eight Associate Professors, 41 Assistant Professors, and two Tutors — several of whom had been absent from their posts for periods ranging from one year to as long as six years. The action was taken under Rule 3 of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules (Violation) — 1964, which empowers the government to treat prolonged unauthorised absence as deemed resignation.

"Show-cause notices were issued and adequate time was given to respond. Despite that, there was no response from these individuals," Satya Kumar Yadav said. "Those who are negligent in discharging their duties or who remain absent without authorisation will face strict action. There is absolutely no question of tolerating irresponsibility."

Absent for years, some since 2020

Among the Associate Professors dismissed, one attached to Andhra Medical College had been absent since February 7, 2020 — a period of over five years. Among the Assistant Professors, one had not reported for duty since August 22, 2022. The dismissed doctors belong to government medical colleges spread across the state, including those at Kadapa, Anantapur, Ongole, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Rajamahendravaram, Eluru, Nellore, and Markapur.

Of the two Tutors dismissed, one had been absent for seven years — among the longest periods of unauthorised absence recorded in the exercise.

Charge memos bring eleven back to duty

The crackdown has already produced results in some cases. Eleven doctors who had been absent for under a year returned to duty after the DME issued charge memoranda. However, 33 others — comprising two Associate Professors and 31 Assistant Professors — have yet to report despite receiving notices, and face dismissal if they fail to join within the stipulated deadline.

In the Professor category, three individuals who had been absent for extended periods are expected to face similar punitive action shortly. Of five Professors served notices, two have since returned to duty.

Impact on patient care cited as primary concern

Officials noted that the prolonged absence of faculty from teaching hospitals had a direct and measurable impact on the quality of medical services available to patients. Many of the absentees had reportedly pursued private engagements while remaining on government rolls — a practice that had gone largely unchecked during the previous administration.

Following directions issued by the Minister, DME officials compiled detailed lists of absentees from across all government medical colleges before initiating formal proceedings under the applicable service rules.

The government has simultaneously indicated that vacancies arising from these dismissals will be filled promptly under its Zero Vacancy Policy, ensuring that the affected institutions are not left short-staffed in the interim.

With 33 more doctors yet to report and action pending against three Professors, further dismissals in the coming weeks appear likely.

VIJAYAWADA, May 4: Andhra Pradesh Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Monday said the BJP's strong performance in the West Bengal Assembly elections signalled the end of what he described as a regime that fomented religious hatred, issued voter identity cards to illegal infiltrators, and deprived the poor of their rightful entitlements.

Reacting to the election results, Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav said the people of Bengal had blessed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recognition of his commitment to regional development, basic infrastructure, and wealth creation for ordinary citizens. The BJP's victory, he said, was proof of the people's faith in the vision of Viksit Bharat.

The Minister said the NDA coalition was now poised to usher in successive terms in governance, breaking what he called the earlier assumption that a second consecutive victory was near impossible. He noted that in several States where the NDA was in power, the alliance had been consistently fulfilling its electoral promises.

Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav said the government would identify, delete, and deport illegal infiltrators, invoking what he described as the BJP's three-point slogan of "Detect, Delete, Deport." He said the party would continue to consolidate its presence across States on the strength of this agenda.

Underlining the party's inclusive development philosophy, the Minister cited Prime Minister Modi's "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" commitment as evidence that no region or community would be left behind. He reiterated that the people's trust in the BJP's ideology remained firm and that the party's win in Assam further reinforced this confidence.

AMARAVATI: The Andhra Pradesh government is gearing up to hold extensive programmes across the State to mark the International Yoga Day on June 21, with Minister for Medical and Health Satya Kumar Yadav chairing a preparatory meeting with AYUSH officials at the department's headquarters here on Monday evening.

Addressing officials at the meeting, Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav directed that awareness about the importance of yoga be deepened among the public at large. He instructed officials to actively involve students, government employees, and members of Yoga associations, Rotary clubs, Lions clubs, and other civil society organisations in the planned events.

The Minister also suggested convening a dedicated meeting with yoga trainers across the State to solicit their inputs on the conduct of the programmes, and emphasised that the activities must build substantively on those held last year.

A State-level event of considerable scale is proposed to be organised in Amaravati under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, and officials were asked to prepare proposals accordingly. District-level Yoga Day programmes are to be conducted under the leadership of respective Collectors.

Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav noted that educational institutions are expected to reopen from the second week of June, following the summer vacation, and said that promoting awareness about yoga among students at that stage would yield wide-ranging benefits. He added that such initiatives would also contribute to the realisation of the State government's vision of Swarna Andhra Pradesh.

Report on last year's impact sought

The Minister enquired specifically into the scale and impact of programmes held on the occasion of International Yoga Day last year and directed AYUSH In-charge Commissioner Ronankhi Gopalkrishna to prepare a detailed report on the same.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Mantena Satyanarayana Raju, State Government Adviser on Yoga and Naturopathy, offered several important suggestions on the precautions and measures needed to effectively build public awareness through yoga and allied programmes.

Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav is expected to hold another round of discussions with officials shortly on the conduct of the Yoga Day events, and will also consult Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on the matter.

AMARAVATI, APRIL 29:In a significant shift from curative to preventive healthcare, the Andhra Pradesh Health Department has approved a comprehensive citizen health screening scheme under which each identified individual will undergo 47 different medical tests annually, delivered through 104 Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) deployed across the State.

Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav gave his approval to the scheme on Wednesday. The initiative, which will entail an annual expenditure of ₹162.72 crore, is aimed at fulfilling a commitment made by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to assess the current health status of citizens through comprehensive medical examinations and take preventive action before diseases set in.

Scope and coverage

Under the scheme, a total of 56.4 lakh persons will be screened every year. This includes individuals identified through the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) survey as either already suffering from or at risk of various ailments, as well as students residing in welfare and educational hostels.

A marked departure from earlier practice

Until now, the 104 MMUs conducted only six types of tests once every 15 days at the village level — random blood sugar, urine sugar, haemoglobin, a rapid diagnostic test for diseases such as malaria, urine albumin, and a pregnancy confirmation test. These tests were largely carried out using rapid kits that often yielded imprecise results. Individual disease profiles and electronic health records at the village, mandal, and district levels were not being maintained.

The revamped scheme will replace this limited framework with a battery of 47 tests across 11 health parameters for each identified individual. The tests include eight liver function tests (LFT), six urine analysis tests, five lipid profile tests, five white blood cell count tests, five red blood cell count tests, four electrolyte tests, three renal function tests (RFT), three glucose tests, two coagulation tests, one ESR test for infection markers, and five other tests.

Disease profiles and health records

Based on the results of these comprehensive tests, individual disease profiles and electronic health records will be prepared for each citizen. Under the Sanjeevani scheme, personalised advisories will be issued covering immediate precautions and long-term preventive measures. Minister Satya Kumar Yadav described the launch of this screening initiative as a step of considerable importance in safeguarding the health of the State's population.

Role of service provider

In the first phase, covering a period of five years, the service provider currently operating the 104 MMU services through a fleet of 904 vehicles will be required to install, at its own cost, a semi-automatic bio-chemistry analyser, a CBC machine with three-part analyser, a microscope, and an incubator in each vehicle. The provider will also supply the necessary reagents and consumables for conducting all 47 tests. Each vehicle is expected to screen 20 persons per day across 26 working days a month, covering 520 individuals monthly.

Swift rollout directed

Minister Satya Kumar Yadav directed senior health department officials to take immediate steps to operationalise the scheme at the earliest. Officials informed the Minister that efforts were underway to launch the services within two months.

AMARAVATI, APRIL 24: Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav met Professor Y.Y. Teo of the Department of Public Health at the National University of Singapore (NUS) on the sidelines of his Singapore visit on Thursday, discussing ways to align the State's healthcare system with global standards.

Prof. Teo is a member of the high-level advisory council constituted by the State government to guide reforms in the health sector.

During the meeting, Mr. Yadav briefed Prof. Teo on the range of initiatives being undertaken by the Telugu Desam-led coalition government under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to strengthen public health delivery in the State.

AI, digital records, and cancer screening

The minister outlined the State's adoption of artificial intelligence in healthcare services for economically weaker patients, and the use of the NCD-04 programme for early detection of oral, breast, and cervical cancers through systematic screening. He also spoke about the ongoing development of electronic health records to consolidate patient data across the State's health network.

Mr. Yadav drew particular attention to the STEMI programme, under which patients arriving at government hospitals within the golden hour of a cardiac event are provided a costly clot-dissolving injection free of charge — a measure aimed at improving survival outcomes for heart attack patients who cannot afford private care.

Gates Foundation partnership

The minister also apprised Prof. Teo of the memorandum of understanding signed with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to improve healthcare delivery in the State, and the steps being taken in furtherance of that agreement.

Mr. Yadav urged Prof. Teo to offer specific recommendations and best-practice guidance that could be incorporated into the State's evolving health policy framework. Prof. Teo expressed satisfaction with the direction of the State government's approach to public health reform.

The meeting is expected to pave the way for deeper academic and technical collaboration between the State government and NUS in strengthening Andhra Pradesh's healthcare infrastructure in the coming years.

AMARAVATI, APRIL 24: Andhra Pradesh is intensifying its efforts to eliminate malaria, with Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Friday announcing a series of preventive measures ahead of the monsoon season and disclosing plans to seek the Centre's recognition of three districts as malaria-free zones.

Speaking on the eve of World Malaria Day, Mr. Yadav said the state government would shortly send proposals to the Union government to declare Bapatla, West Godavari, and Konaseema districts free of the disease. He added that no indigenous malaria cases had been recorded in these three districts for three consecutive years, and that the few cases detected there had been imported from outside.

Declining case load

The minister said the state had witnessed a steady decline in malaria cases since 2024–25. A total of 7,871 cases were reported that year, which fell to 7,199 in 2025–26. In the first 16 weeks of the current year, only 899 cases were registered, compared to 1,783 during the corresponding period last year — a drop of over 49 per cent. The state average stands at 0.15 cases per thousand population. However, the tribal districts of Alluri Sitarama Raju and Parvathipuram Manyam continue to bear a disproportionate burden, recording 3.46 and 1.95 cases per thousand respectively.

Mr. Yadav said that as part of the government's roadmap to significantly reduce malaria by 2030, a comprehensive indoor residual spray (IRS) programme was being rolled out. The IRS method involves spraying insecticides on interior walls and ceilings to kill mosquitoes that rest on these surfaces.

Spray programme

Spray operations have already been launched in high-incidence tribal districts — Alluri Sitarama Raju, Anakapalli, and Polavaram — following Central government guidelines and keeping local geographical conditions in mind. The programme will be extended in a phased manner to 13 more districts from May 15, with completion targeted by August 30. The districts covered in this phase include Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Prakasam, Markapur, Nandyal, Annammayya, Sri Sathya Sai, Visakhapatnam, Eluru, Manyam, NTR, Tirupati, and Chittoor.

The spray intervention will be deployed specifically in villages where two or more cases are recorded per thousand population. The state government is spending approximately ₹4.80 crore on the procurement of insecticides — alpha-cypermethrin and malathion — and ₹4.5 crore on the conduct of the programme, with total expenditure on the IRS drive touching ₹10 crore annually.

Mosquito nets and awareness

The state has also begun distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets. Distribution is nearing completion in Alluri Sitarama Raju, Polavaram, and Manyam districts, with a plan to supply 2.55 lakh nets to 1.95 lakh families and student hostels across the state.

Central government officials have already trained state staff on the documentation and evidence required to submit malaria-free proposals. A Central team is expected to visit the three districts after receiving the state's proposals next month, following which the Union government is expected to issue a formal malaria elimination declaration.

The minister said awareness activities on malaria symptoms, prevention, and available healthcare services would be held across the state on the occasion of World Malaria Day on Saturday.

Amaravati, April 23: Andhra Pradesh's pioneering experiment of deploying artificial intelligence-based medical services through startups across 18 government hospitals has yielded encouraging results, with the State Health and Medical Department set to felicitate the best-performing startups with cash incentives and a work order worth one crore rupees, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav announced on Thursday.

In what is being described as a first of its kind initiative in the country, 18 startups were simultaneously deployed across government hospitals in the State under the 'AP MedTech Innovation Challenge', a policy framework introduced by the Health Department. The Minister attributed the success of the initiative to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's vision for technology-driven governance.

Out of 297 applications received from startups, 18 were shortlisted through a three-tier evaluation process to operate across four categories — Diagnostic Tools, Portable Point of Care, Smart Monitoring and Wearables, and Remote Care Telemedicine. Over a 37-day period from February to end of March, the startups collectively served 12,677 patients under medical supervision.

Notable Outcomes

The results have been significant across multiple health parameters. One startup, after screening 7,433 patients, detected early-stage tuberculosis in 15 to 25 per cent of those examined. Another screened 1,200 patients and identified 34 requiring cataract surgery and 10 with glaucoma. A cervical cancer screening drive flagged suspected symptoms in 15 individuals. In Parvathipuram Manyam district, respiratory problems were detected in 30 newborns, while cardiac screening of 323 patients in Kurnool district revealed heart-related anomalies in 2.17 per cent of cases. Notably, the deployment of AI scribe technology in consultations with 2,100 patients resulted in a time saving of up to 70 per cent compared to conventional methods.

The startups demonstrated their innovations at hospitals including GGH Kakinada, Vijayawada, Anantapur, Tirupati Ruia, Visakha Victoria, and several primary and sub-health centres across the State.

Evaluation and Incentives

The performance of these startups will be assessed by the Committee for Applied Technologies in Health (CATH), which includes representatives from the Indian Institute of Science, ICMR, AIG Hospitals Hyderabad, and other leading institutions. Startups ranked first, second, and third across four categories — totalling 12 organisations — will receive cash incentives of Rs. 5 lakh, Rs. 3 lakh, and Rs. 2 lakh respectively, amounting to a total outlay of Rs. 40 lakh. The top-performing startup overall will additionally receive a work order valued at Rs. one crore. These measures are being taken in accordance with GO No. 33 issued by the IT Department in August 2025.

A special conference is to be convened shortly in Amaravati to disseminate the findings to all departments within the Health Ministry, with government medical officers from all districts, medical students, faculty, and representatives from national bodies including the National Health Authority, e-Health Startup India, India AI Mission, and IIT Kanpur, among others, expected to participate.

The government is also considering continuing the AP MedTech Innovation Challenge framework as a sustained policy to progressively expand AI-based services across government hospitals in the State.

AMARAVATI, April 20: A total of 377 doctors have joined primary health centres (PHCs) and teaching hospitals across Andhra Pradesh as Medical Officers and Civil Assistant Surgeons, with women accounting for 232 of the new recruits — or 61.53 per cent of the total intake — Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav announced on Monday.

Of the newly joined doctors, 282 have taken charge as Medical Officers in PHCs while the remaining 95 have joined teaching hospitals as Civil Assistant Surgeons.

Recruitment process

The AP Medical Services Recruitment Board had issued a notification on behalf of the Director of Public Health to fill 630 Medical Officer posts on a permanent basis, against which 4,984 applications were received. Following scrutiny under prescribed rules, online counselling was conducted to fill 611 posts — excluding those reserved under the sports quota — from a finalised selection list. Of those called for counselling, 482 candidates registered their preferences.

234 posts to be filled shortly

However, 129 candidates did not exercise their options, and 105 others who received postings did not report for duty, leaving 234 posts vacant. The Director of Public Health has requested the Recruitment Board to furnish a fresh merit list of remaining eligible candidates from the original selection list drawn up under last year's notification. A revised list will be prepared in accordance with reservation rules and other applicable norms, and fresh online counselling will be conducted shortly. The coalition government has been taking continuous steps to ensure zero vacancy in public health posts, the Minister said.

District-wise distribution

Among the districts, Krishna, Nandyal, Palnadu, and Srikakulam recorded the highest intake, with 16 Medical Officers joining PHCs in each district. Kadapa, Eluru, and Konaseema districts saw 15, 14, and 13 doctors join respectively, while West Godavari, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Anantapur, and Prakasam each received 12 new PHC Medical Officers.

In teaching hospitals, Kadapa led with 25 Civil Assistant Surgeons reporting for duty, followed by Kakinada and Kurnool with 13 each. Across tribal areas of the State, 37 doctors have joined service.

AMARAVATI, April 20: The Andhra Pradesh government has formulated a comprehensive skill development programme as part of a broader population management policy aimed at addressing the economic barriers to childbearing, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav announced on Monday.

The skill development component forms one of the five pillars of the State's new population stabilisation policy, which was designed to encourage couples to voluntarily opt for higher fertility by creating an enabling socio-economic environment.

Fertility rate concern

Expressing concern over the State's current total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.50 — well below the replacement level of 2.10 required for a stable population balance between the young and the elderly — Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav said the government had drawn up a holistic policy to reverse the trend. The overarching goal of the programme is to achieve a $2.40 trillion State economy, which would be facilitated by a stabilised population structure, he said.

Targets set for 2035

Under the skill development plan, the government has set the following targets to be achieved by 2035: extending digital literacy to 95 per cent of the population; providing need-identified skill training to 75 per cent of the workforce; ensuring employment for over 80 per cent of trained persons; offering certificate courses to one lakh persons in childcare and elder-care services; and increasing women's participation in the labour force by 25 per cent.

Industry-aligned training

The Minister stated that training programmes would be tailored to the requirements of industries investing in the State, with a specific focus on information technology, green energy, electronics, and quantum computing. He noted that 610 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and related agreements signed at Visakhapatnam, entailing investments exceeding ₹13 lakh crore, would guide the identification of skill requirements. Industrialists and investors would be given due representation in the design of training curricula, he added.

Three-tier framework

The skill programmes would operate across three levels, Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav explained. Foundational courses would be introduced from Class VI, with the aim of building capabilities from a young age. Existing workers of varying age groups would receive training to enhance their productivity. Centres of Excellence would also be established to cater to higher-end skill requirements.

Emphasising that learning was not confined to those under 25, the Minister said older persons would also receive training in various domains so that all age groups could contribute to social and economic development.

The Minister appealed to citizens to make the most of the opportunities that would be created under the programme.

AMARAVATI, April 18: Describing the Opposition's stance as a black day for Indian democracy, BJP national leader and State Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party for voting against the Women's Reservation Bill and the Delimitation legislation in Parliament, asserting that both moves reflected a deliberate attempt to deny justice to women and marginalised communities.

"Opposing 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies is nothing short of obstructing the future of this nation," Mr. Yadav said in a statement issued late Friday evening. "This is a dark day for democracy."

The Minister did not spare the Congress on its track record, pointing out that the party had neither advanced the Women's Reservation Bill when in power nor supported it in Opposition. "This is the Congress and company brand of women's empowerment — block it in government, block it in Opposition," he said sharply.

Mr. Yadav argued that opposing the Bill amounted to denying women from ordinary families their rightful place in politics. "It is a direct assault on the rights of sisters and daughters of this country. The women of India and the people of this nation will not forgive the Opposition for this," he said.

Delimitation will reduce southern seats if based on 2023 figures, says Minister

Turning to the Delimitation issue, Mr. Yadav contended that opposing the Bills was tantamount to blocking the political advancement of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Drawing comparisons with established democracies, he noted that representation ratios abroad were far lower — one Lok Sabha member for every one lakh voters in London, 1.1 lakh in France and Germany, 1.2 lakh in Canada, 1.7 lakh in Australia, 2.7 lakh in Japan, and 7.7 lakh in the United States. In India, by contrast, a single Lok Sabha member represents as many as 27 lakh constituents, he pointed out.

Mr. Yadav acknowledged that conducting delimitation on the basis of 2023 population figures would result in a reduction of existing seats in southern States, with the exercise due in 2026. He maintained, however, that the Central government had taken appropriate steps in this regard, and that the Opposition's attempts to obstruct the process were both unwise and indefensible.

"It is deeply unfortunate that the very parties claiming to champion federal principles are standing in the way of a constitutionally mandated exercise," he said.

Amaravati, April 17: State Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Friday strongly condemned the remarks made by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Parliament during the debate on the Nari Shakti Vandan Bill, demanding that Gandhi immediately retract his statements and offer an unconditional apology to the people of the country.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP State office in Vijayawada, the Minister said it was deeply irresponsible of Gandhi to mock Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a time when Parliament was engaged in a crucial debate on women's empowerment. He described Gandhi's references to the Prime Minister as a "jadugar" and a "magician" as unworthy of a Leader of Opposition, and said his remarks undermining the country's military strength were wholly unacceptable.

Satya Kumar Yadav said Prime Minister Modi's leadership had been clearly visible in enhancing India's stature on the international stage and in driving national development. He asserted that the Central government's decisions on national security and military strength had made India significantly more powerful, pointing in particular to the firm stance adopted against Pakistan in bolstering the country's defence.

The Minister said Congress party's opposition to the Nari Shakti Vandan Bill had laid bare the party's true attitude towards women's empowerment. He added that the Central government's transparent and corruption-free governance continued to enjoy strong public support.

On the delimitation issue, Satya Kumar Yadav said the increase in parliamentary seats following the census was intended to ensure justice for southern States, with the possibility of up to a 50 per cent increase in seats for the south. He criticised the Congress for having fostered a sense of division between northern and southern States during its tenure in power.

The Minister said the BJP would welcome support from any party for decisions aimed at women's development and national progress.