Latest news with #Rajini
The Print
3 days ago
- Health
- The Print
TDP-led government privatising medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh: YSRCP leader V Rajini
Though 17 medical colleges were announced, Rajini said that only five were completed while colleges envisaged under phase II at Paderu, Pulivendula, Markapuram, Adoni, and Madanapalle were stalled. Rajini noted that during COVID-19 pandemic, former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had initiated the construction of 17 medical colleges at a cost of Rs 8,500 crore with world class facilities akin to modern corporate hospitals for free healthcare and education. Amaravati, May 29 (PTI) YSRCP leader and former health minister V Rajani on Thursday said the TDP-led NDA government was 'privatising' medical colleges and termed it an 'institutional betrayal'. 'Each medical college, built at a cost of Rs 500 crore on 50 acres of prime land valued at over Rs 2 crore per acre, is being leased at Rs 100 per acre annually, totalling Rs 5,000 per college,' said Rajani addressing a press conference. She said these colleges were designed for local access to advance healthcare. Rajani alleged that public assets worth over Rs 8,000 crore are being handed over to private players for about Rs 5,000 annually, undermining decades of public healthcare investment. She said the government allegedly used audit firm KPMG's 'biased report' to justify the 'transfer of institutions' to corporate control, which could deprive medical education for the underprivileged sections and free super-specialty healthcare. Rajani accused the coalition government of dismantling several health schemes launched by the erstwhile YSRCP government which offered access to free healthcare and essential support. She alleged welfare, farming, and industrial systems are in crisis, while 'false promises' like iconic towers at Amaravati will only benefit a few and ignore public needs. There was no immediate reaction from the ruling TDP on Rajani's allegations. PTI MS STH SKY SKY This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
India.com
13-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
YSRCP refutes liquor policy-disease link, says allegations aimed at maligning Jagan Mohan Reddy
Former Andhra Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy Amaravati: V Rajini, YSRCP leader and former health minister, has said certain allegations against the party's liquor policy while it was in the ruling saddle in Andhra Pradesh were false and politically motivated. Rajini said that linking liver and kidney diseases to the YSRCP's liquor policy was baseless, intended to malign YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's erstwhile government and deflect attention from failures. According to a report by an expert panel, Andhra Pradesh has registered a staggering 100 per cent increase in the cases of alcohol-related liver diseases during the tenure of Reddy-led YSRCP in 2019-2024 as compared to the earlier five years. The 3-member panel, which the Chandrababu Naidu government constituted to analyse the disease burden in Andhra, used the official health data from Arogyasri, a flagship scheme to provide quality healthcare services to the poor. 'The coalition (the ruling NDA govt) is twisting facts and misusing health data to spread deliberate lies. Our (erstwhile YSRCP) government worked to curb alcohol use, ensured safer regulation, and invested in public health, unlike their (TDP-led) regime, which fuelled unchecked liquor sales,' said Rajini in a release. The former health minister said that liquor sales allegedly dropped from four crore to three crore liquor cases (carton box) from 2018 to 19 and 2023-24, while beer sales fell from 3 crore to 1 crore. The YSRCP leader alleged that the NDA coalition government peddles falsehoods, ignoring its record, while Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu 'introduced' 200 liquor brands, flooding the market with unknown ones. In contrast, Reddy retained brands already existing during his regime, said Rajini. A Chennai-based lab and others approved quality and Competition Commission of India (CCI) confirmed compliance and no deaths happened due to illicit liquor during the previous YSRCP regime, he said. Rajini claimed that the YSRCP curbed alcohol usage by regulating shops, reducing timings, and abolishing 43,000 alleged belt shops (illegal liquor outlets). He alleged that the TDP-led government misinterprets health data, falsely linking diseases to liquor, while ignoring that lifestyle factors play a more significant role. Under Reddy's regime, the diseases covered under Aarogyasri (free healthcare scheme) raised from 1,059 to 3,254; 108 and 104 ambulances increased from 622 to 2,204, enhancing emergency access. The erstwhile YSRCP government addressed severe staff shortages in government hospitals by recruiting over 53,000 healthcare workers, which improved services across the state, he said. Despite a 61 per cent national shortage of specialist doctors, the state reduced it to 4 per cent. Nurse and lab technician shortages, at 27 per cent and 33 per cent nationally, dropped to zero in Andhra Pradesh, he added. (With Inputs from PTI)
New Indian Express
13-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
No surge in ailments due to liquor: Andhra ex-minister Vidadala Rajini
VIJAYAWADA: Former minister Vidadala Rajini slammed the NDA government's claims linking YSRCP's liquor policy to a surge in liver and kidney diseases, calling them baseless attempts to tarnish the previous regime. She refuted the allegations of increased liquor consumption under the YSRCP government, citing data showing a decline in liquor sales from 3.84 crore cases in 2018-19 to 3.32 crore cases in 2023-24, and beer sales dropping from 2.77 crore to 1.12 crore cases. She highlighted the YSRCP's measures, including reduced hours, and eliminating 43,000 illegal belt shops, besides no reports of illicit liquor deaths during 2019-24. Rajini accused the coalition of ignoring their record, noting Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's introduction of 200 liquor brands during 2014-19, while the YSRCP maintained existing ones, verified by Chennai's SJS Lab and compliant with the Competition Act. She emphasised YSRCP's healthcare reforms, expanding Aarogyasri procedures from 1,059 to 3,254, increasing ambulances from 622 to 2,204, and reducing shortage of doctors, nurses, and technicians significantly. The NDA's claims lack scientific backing, she said, as improved diagnostics under YSRCP led to better case detection, not a liquor crisis.
India.com
13-05-2025
- Health
- India.com
YSRCP Refutes Liquor Policy-Disease Link, Blames Chandrababu Naidu Govt For Misusing Health Data
Former Andhra Pradesh health minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader V. Rajini on Monday refuted allegations that the party's liquor policy during its 2019–2024 tenure contributed to a surge in liver and kidney diseases. She dismissed the claims as politically driven misinformation aimed at discrediting former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's administration. Rajini's remarks come in the wake of a report by a three-member expert panel, constituted by the current Chandrababu Naidu-led government, which cited a 100 per cent rise in alcohol-related liver disease cases during the YSRCP regime, based on data from the state's flagship Arogyasri health scheme. Terming the findings misleading, Rajini accused the ruling NDA coalition of manipulating health data for political mileage. 'The coalition is twisting facts and misusing data to spread deliberate lies,' she said in a statement. 'Our government worked to regulate alcohol use, promote safer practices, and strengthen public health, unlike the previous TDP regime, which allowed unchecked liquor proliferation.' Former Health Minister Vidadala Rajini condemned the coalition's false propaganda against YSRCP's liquor policy, calling it a desperate attempt to divert attention from their failures. She said linking health issues to YSRCP's liquor policy is baseless and aimed at tarnishing the… — YSR Congress Party (@YSRCParty) May 12, 2025 Rajini claimed that during the YSRCP's governance, liquor sales actually declined — from four crore to three crore cases between 2018–19 and 2023–24 — and beer sales dropped significantly from three crore to one crore cases. She also asserted that no deaths due to illicit liquor were recorded during their rule, with quality certification from a Chennai-based lab and approval from the Competition Commission of India. The former health minister further alleged that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had introduced over 200 new liquor brands, flooding the market with lesser-known options, while the YSRCP government maintained the existing brands. She said the YSRCP took concrete steps to curb alcohol consumption by regulating store hours, controlling the number of retail outlets, and shutting down over 43,000 alleged illegal belt shops. Rajini emphasized that rising health issues were more closely linked to broader lifestyle changes than to liquor policy alone. Highlighting healthcare achievements under the YSRCP government, she said the number of diseases covered under the Arogyasri scheme rose from 1,059 to 3,254. The ambulance fleet also expanded significantly, with 108 and 104 services increasing from 622 to 2,204 vehicles, vastly improving emergency medical access. Rajini concluded by pointing to recruitment drives that brought in over 53,000 healthcare workers to fill staff shortages in government hospitals. She noted that Andhra Pradesh under YSRCP reduced the national average shortage of specialist doctors from 61% to 4%, and brought nurse and lab technician shortages to zero.
Hindustan Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Allegations linking YSRCP's liquor policy with diseases false, says party leader
Amaravati, YSRCP leader and former health minister V Rajini on Monday said certain allegations against the party's liquor policy while it was in the ruling saddle in Andhra Pradesh were false and politically motivated. Rajini said that linking liver and kidney diseases to the YSRCP's liquor policy was baseless, intended to malign YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's erstwhile government and deflect attention from failures. According to a report by an expert panel, Andhra Pradesh has registered a staggering 100 per cent increase in the cases of alcohol-related liver diseases during the tenure of Reddy-led YSRCP in 2019-2024 as compared to the earlier five years. The 3-member panel, which the Chandrababu Naidu government constituted to analyse the disease burden in Andhra, used the official health data from Arogyasri, a flagship scheme to provide quality healthcare services to the poor. "The coalition is twisting facts and misusing health data to spread deliberate lies. Our government worked to curb alcohol use, ensured safer regulation, and invested in public health, unlike their regime, which fuelled unchecked liquor sales," said Rajini in a release. The former health minister said that liquor sales allegedly dropped from four crore to three crore liquor cases from 2018 to 19 and 2023-24, while beer sales fell from 3 crore to 1 crore. The YSRCP leader alleged that the NDA coalition government peddles falsehoods, ignoring its record, while Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu 'introduced' 200 liquor brands, flooding the market with unknown ones. In contrast, Reddy retained brands already existing during his regime, said Rajini. A Chennai-based lab and others approved quality and Competition Commission of India confirmed compliance and no deaths happened due to illicit liquor during the previous YSRCP regime, he said. Rajini claimed that the YSRCP curbed alcohol usage by regulating shops, reducing timings, and abolishing 43,000 alleged belt shops . He alleged that the TDP-led government misinterprets health data, falsely linking diseases to liquor, while ignoring that lifestyle factors play a more significant role. Under Reddy's regime, the diseases covered under Aarogyasri raised from 1,059 to 3,254; 108 and 104 ambulances increased from 622 to 2,204, enhancing emergency access. The erstwhile YSRCP government addressed severe staff shortages in government hospitals by recruiting over 53,000 healthcare workers, which improved services across the state, he said. Despite a 61 per cent national shortage of specialist doctors, the state reduced it to 4 per cent. Nurse and lab technician shortages, at 27 per cent and 33 per cent nationally, dropped to zero in Andhra Pradesh, he added.
