Digital health records pilot in Kuppam to scale up across Andhra Pradesh

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has emphasized that the “Sanjeevani” project being piloted in Kuppam has the potential to become a national benchmark in public healthcare. Speaking during a review meeting at the Secretariat, he outlined plans to improve healthcare accessibility across the state through a combination of new medical colleges, the Sanjeevani digital health initiative, and the upcoming Universal Health Policy.

The Chief Minister clarified that while the new medical colleges are being set up under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, the government will closely oversee their functioning to ensure quality and accountability. These colleges are intended to provide free, high-quality medical services, especially for underprivileged populations.

Officials informed the CM that the first phase of medical colleges will include Adoni, Markapuram, Madanapalle, and Pulivendula, with tender processes already progressing through four stages. Completion of construction and operational readiness is expected by next month. Chandrababu stressed that the modern healthcare facilities provided by these colleges should benefit not only urban populations but also rural communities, ultimately serving the broader society.

Each new medical college has been allocated 50 acres of land. Of this, 25 acres will host the college and hospital, while the remaining 25 acres will accommodate nursing, paramedical, dental, Ayurveda, wellness centers, and yoga facilities. Hospitals are expected to provide 70% of beds free of charge to patients, and all services will remain free. The CM urged officials to study national best practices in hospital management, maintain government-mandated standards, and rate hospitals implementing exemplary practices.

The Sanjeevani project, currently being piloted at the Designerv Digital Health Center in Kuppam, is aimed at collecting and analyzing health data for effective public healthcare monitoring. The pilot has already compiled health records for 338,000 residents, including blood, anemia, cardiac, kidney, liver, and diabetes profiles. Plans are underway to expand the project to Chittoor district starting January 1, 2026, with the long-term goal of implementing it statewide.

CM Chandrababu highlighted that a successful Sanjeevani rollout could significantly reduce government healthcare expenditure. He also expressed the ambition to collaborate with the Tata-Bill Gates Foundation, making the project a national model. In addition, he called for specialized initiatives for naturopathy and yoga-based healthcare programs.

The Chief Minister directed that the state’s Universal Health Insurance Policy should be implemented from April 1, 2026. Currently, around 12 lakh claims are being processed monthly by the NTR Medical Services Trust, costing approximately ₹330 crore. Chandrababu stressed the importance of analyzing healthcare expenditure by region and disease to ensure both government and individual spending is optimized. The data collected through the Sanjeevani project will be used to develop a detailed action plan for preventive and curative healthcare strategies.

The review meeting was attended via video conference by Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav and senior officials, including Saurabh Gaur and Veerapandian.