Tadepali (Andhra Pradesh) [India], January 25: Gopireddy Srinivasa Reddy, former MLA and senior YSRCP leader, declared that the party would strongly oppose the privatization of medical colleges, arguing that such moves would harm poor students who rely on government institutions for affordable education.
Addressing the media, Reddy accused former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of consistently prioritizing corporate interests over public welfare. He claimed that Naidu was handing over newly established medical colleges to private entities under a public-private partnership (PPP) model and vowed to challenge the privatization efforts at every level.
Reddy contrasted the efforts of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy with those of Naidu regarding medical education. He commended Jagan for securing approval for 17 new medical colleges, five of which are already operational, while criticizing Naidu for not establishing a single government medical college during his tenure.
“YS Jagan Mohan Reddy managed to secure 17 new medical colleges, five of which have already been established. In contrast, Chandrababu Naidu didn’t bring a single government medical college during his 15-year tenure. Instead, he handed over all the medical colleges to private parties and his associates. Government medical colleges benefit poor students who can’t afford the exorbitant fees of private institutions. This is why Jagan Mohan Reddy pushed for these new colleges— to improve access to medical education and strengthen healthcare in rural areas,” Reddy said.
He further criticized the privatization of medical colleges, claiming it would lead to the loss of over 2,400 medical seats, severely affecting poor students who want to study medicine. Reddy noted that many students are forced to go to other states or even foreign countries like the Philippines to pursue their medical degrees, despite the state having the potential to provide more government seats.
He also emphasized that creating the necessary infrastructure for government medical colleges would require only 2% of the state’s budget allocation, but that political will was lacking due to coalition partners backing away from their election promises. “We will fight this privatization move on all fronts and will explore legal avenues to stop it,” he added.