Andhra Pradesh Erupts: Medical Community Battles Privatization of Government Colleges

A groundswell of opposition is sweeping across Andhra Pradesh as a powerful Joint Action Committee (JAC), representing doctors, medical faculty, junior doctors, and student unions, stands firm against the State government's controversial move to privatize government medical colleges. The JAC issues a dire warning: this policy will severely undermine public health, making medical education and quality treatment an unattainable dream for the economically vulnerable.

At the forefront of this impassioned protest are Medical and Health JAC Convenor P.

Satyanarayana and co-convenor P. Durga Prasad, alongside a unified front including the Junior Doctors Association (JDA), Medical Faculty Association (MFA), Government Doctors Association (GDA), and student bodies like PDSU, SFI, and AISF. Their collective voice is clear: the government’s actions are a betrayal of public trust and a direct threat to the welfare of countless citizens.

The JAC leaders have voiced grave concerns, asserting that the very institutions responsible for producing highly skilled and compassionate doctors are being systematically neglected, only to be covertly handed over to corporate entities.

They argue that this strategy deliberately creates financial barriers for aspiring medical students from impoverished backgrounds, through escalating fees and the introduction of 'paid seats', effectively shutting the door on genuine talent.

The core demand from the JAC is an immediate and unequivocal rollback of the privatization decision.

Beyond this, they are advocating for the urgent filling of all existing vacancies within the medical and health sector and a substantial increase in the budget allocation for public health services. These measures, they contend, are crucial to bolstering the state’s healthcare infrastructure and ensuring equitable access.

A critical point highlighted by the JAC is the devastating impact privatization will have on rural healthcare.

Government medical colleges often serve as lifelines for underserved communities, providing much-needed medical personnel to remote areas. Private institutions, driven by profit, rarely prioritize service in such locations, threatening to exacerbate the severe shortage of doctors in rural Andhra Pradesh.

The message from the JAC is resolute: if the government fails to respond positively to their legitimate demands and reconsider its ill-conceived policy, they are prepared to intensify their agitation across the state.

This confrontation underscores a deeper struggle for the future of accessible medical education and equitable healthcare for all citizens of Andhra Pradesh.