Amaravati, September 12: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda on Saturday inaugurated 10 Critical Care Blocks (CCBs) and 12 Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHLs) in Andhra Pradesh, describing the facilities as an important step towards strengthening the state’s preparedness for health emergencies.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, state Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav, public representatives, senior officials, doctors and healthcare professionals attended the event.Nadda said critical-care facilities and public health laboratories serve two complementary purposes — providing advanced treatment to seriously ill patients and enabling early detection of diseases that could develop into major public health threats.
The new Critical Care Blocks have been established at government medical colleges and hospitals in Kadapa, Nellore, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Ongole, Anakapalli, Rajamahendravaram, Kurnool, Hindupur and Vijayawada.
The 12 newly inaugurated Integrated Public Health Laboratories are located at area hospitals in Seethampeta, Guntakal, Palamaner, Aganampudi, Nandigama, Chirala, Araku, Narasaraopet, Banaganapalle, Anaparthi, Tuni and Gudur.
The projects have been developed under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), which seeks to strengthen India’s public healthcare infrastructure and improve preparedness for pandemics and other health emergencies.
Nadda said the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for healthcare systems to maintain emergency capacity without disrupting regular medical services. He stressed that hospitals need more than beds, with critical-care capacity, oxygen and medical-gas systems, isolation facilities, trained personnel, laboratories and disease surveillance mechanisms all forming part of a resilient health system.
Under PM-ABHIM, the Centre has approved 631 Critical Care Blocks across states and Union Territories. In Andhra Pradesh, 24 CCBs have been approved with an estimated investment of around Rs 606 crore.The Centre has also approved 26 Integrated Public Health Laboratories in the state with an allocation of Rs 32.50 crore.
Civil construction has been completed for all 26 facilities, with 14 already operational and the remaining 12 inaugurated on Saturday.
For Andhra Pradesh, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 1,271.80 crore over a five-year period for four major components under PM-ABHIM — Critical Care Blocks, Integrated Public Health Laboratories, and urban and rural Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.Nadda said the government’s healthcare strategy is moving towards an integrated system connecting preventive, primary, secondary and tertiary care.
He said Ayushman Arogya Mandirs provide healthcare closer to communities, while strengthened primary and secondary facilities support referrals and district-level care.
The minister also highlighted the expansion of preventive health services, including screening for diabetes, hypertension and various cancers.
He said more than 1.75 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established across the country.Nadda praised Andhra Pradesh’s Sanjeevani programme, which provides doorstep healthcare services and testing for 41 health parameters.
He said the state’s experience could offer useful lessons for strengthening community-level healthcare across the country.The minister also emphasised the role of digital technology in vaccination through the U-WIN platform, which helps maintain electronic immunisation records and track vaccinations.
He credited healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, emergency teams, ASHA workers and ANMs, for ensuring that health infrastructure translates into effective services for people.
Nadda said the new facilities would strengthen Andhra Pradesh’s ability to respond to serious illnesses, disease outbreaks and future public health emergencies while ensuring that routine healthcare services continue without disruption.
