The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has strongly opposed privatizing the Aarogyasri healthcare scheme, warning that any such move will face strong resistance.
Former MLA Gopireddy Srinivas Reddy spoke out, stressing that Aarogyasri has been a lifeline for millions, especially for the poor. Introduced by the late Dr. YS Rajasekhar Reddy, the scheme has been praised for providing affordable healthcare and has even been copied by other states. Srinivas Reddy warned that privatizing the scheme would hurt its main goal of helping the poor. He said private insurance companies would focus on making a profit and deny essential treatments, like cochlear implants and heart surgeries. This would leave poor patients struggling to get care.
He also criticized Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for trying to weaken the scheme by handing it over to private insurers. He said the government would lose control, leading to delays in treatment and claim rejections.
The YSRCP leader also pointed out that the government has not fulfilled other promises, like the “Super Six,” and questioned its ability to pay premiums to insurance companies. He urged the government to clear the Rs 3,000 crore in pending dues and restore the original system, which is both effective and affordable. Srinivas Reddy further highlighted the poor state of healthcare infrastructure, with over 10,000 village clinics lying empty and the government moving to privatize 17 new hospitals. He said these actions show the government’s lack of care for public health.
YSRCP has vowed to fight any move to privatize Aarogyasri and insisted that all stakeholders should be consulted before making any major changes to the scheme.
