OP services at Piduguralla medical college from May 1

Piduguralla: Taking the lead in accelerating healthcare access for Palnadu residents, Narasaraopet MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu said that efforts are underway to launch outpatient (OP) services at the Piduguralla govt medical college from May 1. He said that the govt is also keen to launch the medical college with at least 100 seats from the next academic year. The MP made these remarks during a review meeting held after inspecting the progress of works at the upcoming govt medical college-attached hospital on Monday. Energy minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar, Gurazala MLA Yarapathineni Srinivasa Rao, district collector Kritika Shukla and other officials participated in the inspection. Addressing the gathering, the MP said many lives were lost in the past as patients had to travel all the way to Guntur for better medical services. He recalled that, recognising the hardships faced by people in accessing healthcare and medical education, he strongly pursued the establishment of a medical college and hospital in Palnadu. During the 2019 Parliament sessions, he questioned the Centre about plans to set up such institutions and subsequently proposed the Piduguralla facility. He noted that out of 17 medical colleges approved across the state, projects at Piduguralla, Machilipatnam and Paderu have made relatively better progress. The project, estimated at Rs 350 crore, is being executed with a 60:40 funding pattern between the Centre and the state, and the current works at Piduguralla have largely been completed using central funds. The MP further said that after the coalition govt assumed office, it has prioritised completion of all pending medical colleges. Given the State's financial constraints, the govt has introduced the Public-Private Partnership model to expedite the works, asserting that there is no undue benefit to any party and that opposition allegations on the policy are baseless. He criticised the opposition YSR Congress Party for not supporting the move to grant legal status to Amaravati during discussions in the Lok Sabha. He alleged that while most parties backed the proposal in the interest of the State, the YSRCP refrained from extending support despite knowing that the Centre would approve the bill, reflecting its negative stance on Amaravati. He also accused the opposition of making contradictory claims on various issues and attempting to take credit for initiatives undertaken by the coalition, including efforts by MPs to resolve issues related to the Rural Development Trust in Anantapur.