NTR Vaidya Seva shows marked improvement under NDA rule, says Health Minister

The rise in expenditure and the number of beneficiaries receiving cashless services under the Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva scheme reflects the improvements made during the TDP-led NDA government, Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education Satya Kumar Yadav has said.

Participating in a review meeting with officials on Saturday, the Minister assessed the implementation of the Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva scheme, along with the 108 and 104 emergency services. He compared the outcomes achieved during the YSRCP rule with those recorded in the past 19 months of the NDA government.

Mr. Yadav noted that during 2022–24, a total of 23,08,930 people benefited under Dr. YSR Aarogyasri, with an average of 96,205 beneficiaries per month. By comparison, during the NDA government’s tenure up to December 2025, the number of beneficiaries rose to 24,49,117, averaging 1,16,624 per month.

He added that the average monthly expenditure under Dr. YSR Aarogyasri was ₹193 crore during the previous government’s tenure, while this figure increased to ₹310 crore under the NDA rule. This means that as against the ₹11,577 crore spent during the previous regime in five years, the present government has incurred ₹6,530 crore in just 19 months.

Referring to the 108 ambulance services, the Minister said that the introduction of stringent conditions in the tendering process had significantly improved the system. The department awarded the new contract to Bhavya Health Services Private Limited last year, following several complaints against Aurobindo Medical Emergency Services. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report had highlighted delays in ambulance arrivals, non-functional equipment, lack of response to calls, and staff shortages.

Officials informed the Minister that these deficiencies have been rectified. The 108 vehicles are now reaching patients with an average delay of only 37 seconds in urban areas (against the 18-minute benchmark), 13 seconds in rural areas (against 23 minutes), and are arriving an average of 2 minutes and 34 seconds ahead of the stipulated 33-minute limit in tribal areas. According to a departmental press note, 95.58% of patients now reach hospitals within an average of one hour and five minutes using the 108 services.

Mr. Yadav said that, as per Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s directions, the government is making arrangements to conduct 41 types of medical tests for all citizens through the 104 vehicles. He reviewed the ongoing preparations in this regard.

The Minister underlined that Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva, along with the 108 and 104 services, play a vital role in safeguarding public health and directed officials to ensure their effective implementation.