Plan to privatise medical education and healthcare through PPP violates constitutional right to life, says former IAS officer P.V. Ramesh

Former IAS officer P.V. Ramesh on Sunday said the TDP-led coalition government’s plan to privatise medical education and healthcare through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model violated the constitutional right to life, as it shifted essential public responsibilities to private hands.

Speaking at a State-level convention organised in Vijayawada to oppose the PPP model for government medical colleges. Mr. Ramesh accused the government of “using financial constraints as a pretext to divert pubic assets to its associates,” and reiterated that ensuring public health was the fundamental duty of the State.

‘Withdraw G.O. 590’

Leaders from various political, student and social organisations attended the meeting, and unanimously demanded immediate withdrawal of G.O. No. 590, which allows 10 Government Medical Colleges in Andhra Pradesh to be run under the PPP model, and said the government should operate these medical colleges.

CPI State secretary K. Ramakrishna criticised the government for “handing over every sector to private entities and misleading the public by giving monetisation the name of development.”

CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao demanded that the government release the recent SBI reports on medical colleges. He accused the coalition government of destroying the public sector under the garb of Vision-2047.

Senior Congress leader N. Thulasi Reddy alleged that the government was resorting to privatisation of medical education for commissions, undermining an institution that had long produced skilled doctors.

President of Andhra Pradesh Medicos’ Association A. Venkateswarlu said even a fraction of the concessions given for the proposed Google data centre could greatly benefit the medical sector and create more jobs.

Former MLC K.S. Lakshmana Rao and former Minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao condemned the move, calling it irresponsible, and said the PPP policy would ultimately lead to its downfall.

V. Lakshmana Reddy demanded that G.O. 590, along with earlier G.O.s 107 and 108 related to self-financing, should be revoked immediately. He pointed out that in developed nations, education and healthcare remained under the government control.

Protests planned

The leaders passed a resolution to build pressure on the government for withdrawal of the G.O. and organise State-wide protests until their demand was fulfilled.

They also constituted the AP Government Colleges’ Protection Committee with Mr. Ramesh as its chairman, Mr. Venkateswarlu as convener, and Mr. Lakshmana Rao, Mr. Lakshmana Reddy, K. Vinay Kumar and N.V. Ramanayya as co-conveners.