Andhra Pradesh Assembly Passes Bill To Rename Health University After YSR

This move by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government comes despite the objections of the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed a Bill to rename NTR University of Health after YSR. It is to be noted that this move by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government comes despite the objections of the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Justifying the renaming of the Health University, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that it was a decision to give due credit to Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy, and he has no disrespect towards TDP founder and former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao.

CM Jagan said YS Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) was not only a doctor and politician but also a great humanitarian who understood the struggles of the underprivileged and gave them access to the greatest healthcare facilities without charge.

The chief minister recalled that the late YSR is credited with bringing public health services like 104 and 108 for people, and he has also implemented revolutionary schemes such as Arogyasri. He said that while the TDP was in power, not a single medical college was established, while as many as 28 were established under the YSR and YS Jagan regimes.

The Chief Minister further said that the present government has strengthened health infrastructure and has taken steps to equip all the hospitals, from village clinics to district hospitals, with sufficient staff and medicines, while boosting the number of procedures under Aarogyasri Scheme.

Earlier, hitting out at the Andhra Pradesh government's move to rename NTR Health University after YSR, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu asked how the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy is connected with NTR Health University which was established in 1986.

The former chief minister stated that late NT Rama Rao had established the university intending to have a separate head of the institution for medical education. ‘’After his demise in 1998, the then TDP government named the university after him,’’ Naidu said.

He said that renaming the health university reflects the defeat of the YSRCP Government and that the TDP strongly opposes the proposal. He demanded that NTR's name for the university be retained at any cost.