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Andhra Pradesh Health Fund Woes: Call for 2.5% GSDP Hike
11 Feb
Summary
- Praja Arogya Vedika urges health allocation increase to 2.5% GSDP.
- An additional ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 crore funding is sought by PAV.
- Focus on primary, tribal, and publicly funded health services is demanded.
Praja Arogya Vedika (PAV) submitted a memorandum on February 11, 2026, to Andhra Pradesh ministers, advocating for a substantial increase in health sector funding for the 2026-27 Budget. The organization highlighted that the previous year's allocation represented only about 1.05% of the GSDP, falling short of national and international benchmarks.
PAV's core demands include raising the health budget to at least 2.5% of the GSDP, an increase of ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 crore. They stressed the importance of prioritizing primary and preventive care, special health packages for tribal areas, and bolstering infrastructure.
Concerns were also raised about the over-reliance on private healthcare models. PAV called for the development of specific facilities, such as transforming RCD Hospital into a super specialty children's hospital and strengthening AIIMS Mangalagiri, to ensure equitable, publicly funded healthcare over medical tourism.
The organization urged government officials to focus on comprehensive public health services rather than models that could exacerbate health inequalities. They also appealed to opposition MLAs to raise these critical health funding issues during the State Budget discussions.
