During his 15-year tenure as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu failed to establish a single new government medical college in the state, according to critics. While the state had only 11 government medical colleges by 2010 , Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government later set up 17 new colleges with an investment of over ₹8,500 crore , including five fully operational institutions. These colleges were designed to provide quality medical education and healthcare access to underprivileged and rural communities.
Despite being part of the central government during 2014–19, Naidu did not forward proposals to establish new colleges, resulting in limited medical seats and missed opportunities for students . Moreover, the current administration alleges that some of these colleges are being handed over to private parties under Chandrababu’s tenure, further restricting public access.
Experts and students argue that this neglect has harmed both medical education and healthcare accessibility , particularly for the poor and middle-class population of Andhra Pradesh.
