Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education Minister Satya Kumar Yadav | Photo credit: File photo
The increase in expenses and the number of recipients of non-cash services within the framework of the Dr. The NTR Vaidya Seva reflects the improvements made during the TDP-led NDA government, said Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education Minister Satya Kumar Yadav.
The Minister, who attended a review meeting with officials on Saturday, evaluated the implementation of the Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva along with emergency services 108 and 104. He compared the results achieved during the YSRCP rule with the results recorded in the last 19 months of the NDA government.
Mr. Yadav noted that during 2022-24, a total of 23,08,930 people under Dr. of YSR Aarogyasri, with an average of 96,205 beneficiaries per month. In comparison, during the NDA government’s tenure till December 2025, the number of beneficiaries increased to 24,49,117, at an average of 1,16,624 per month.
He added that the average monthly expenses for Dr. YSR Aarogyasri’s was ₹193 crore during the previous government’s tenure, while under the NDA rule, the figure rose to ₹310 crore. This means that against ₹ 11,577 crore spent during the previous regime in five years, the current government incurred ₹ 6,530 crore in just 19 months.
Referring to the 108 ambulance services, the Minister said that the introduction of strict conditions in the selection process had significantly improved the system. The department awarded the new contract to Bhavya Health Services Private Limited last year following several complaints against Aurobindo Medical Emergency Services. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report highlighted delays in ambulance arrivals, malfunctioning equipment, inadequate response to calls and understaffing.
Officials informed the minister that these deficiencies had been rectified. The 108 vehicles now reach patients with an average delay of just 37 seconds in urban areas (against the 18-minute standard), 13 seconds in rural areas (against 23 minutes) and in tribal areas arriving an average of 2 minutes 34 seconds ahead of the 33-minute limit. According to a department press release, 95.58% of patients now reach hospitals within an average of one hour and five minutes using 108 services.
Mr. Yadav said that on the instructions of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the government is taking measures to conduct 41 types of medical tests for all citizens through 104 vehicles. He reviewed the ongoing preparations in this regard.
The minister emphasized that Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva along with 108 and 104 services play a vital role in protecting public health and directed the officials to ensure their effective implementation.
Published – 03 Jan 2026 20:20 IST
