Vizianagaram district has witnessed a significant expansion of public healthcare infrastructure with the inauguration of two upgraded 100-bed area hospitals at Gajapathinagaram and Srungavarapukota, aimed at improving access to medical services for rural and tribal communities.
Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education Satya Kumar Yadav inaugurated the upgraded area hospital at Puridipenta in Gajapathinagaram mandal along with Minister Kondapalli Srinivas. The facility has been expanded from 30 beds to 100 beds at a cost of ₹16.50 crore. Minister K. Srinivas oversaw the completion of the works.
Highlighting the impact of the upgrade, Satya Kumar Yadav noted that outpatient services at the hospital have increased significantly, from around 31,000 earlier to over 91,000, reflecting growing public trust in government healthcare facilities. He also emphasised the role of doctors and healthcare staff in delivering responsible and compassionate care.
In emergency cardiac care, the Minister said the STEMI programme, implemented with support from the Union government, is providing the life-saving drug Tenecteplase free of cost, which otherwise costs ₹40,000 per injection. Over the past 20 months, 4,380 injections have been administered under the programme, contributing to the saving of 4,162 lives.
The Minister also expressed concern over cancer prevalence, noting that Kakinada ranks first and Vizianagaram second in cancer cases. He underlined the importance of early detection and urged people to come forward for free screening and health check-ups. As part of this effort, free diagnostic services are being conducted extensively with the support of around 18,000 trained staff, specialists and super-specialists.
In a parallel development, the 50-bed Srungavarapukota Community Health Centre has been upgraded into a 100-bed area hospital. The Srungavarapukota CHC is the only government hospital catering to the entire assembly segment and the neighbouring Anantagiri mandal in the Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district.
The hospital serves tribal populations from Vepada, Srungavarapukota, Lakkavarapukota and Kottavalasa mandals in Vizianagaram district, as well as Anantagiri mandal in the adjoining ASR district. Owing to its wide catchment area, the facility experiences heavy patient inflow throughout the year, particularly during epidemic seasons marked by viral fevers and seasonal diseases.
Considering the sustained pressure on healthcare services, the Union government approved the upgradation of the Srungavarapukota CHC and sanctioned ₹12.60 crore for the construction of additional infrastructure. A five-bed dialysis unit has also been sanctioned at the hospital under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP).
With both facilities now operational as 100-bed area hospitals, healthcare access and capacity in Vizianagaram’s rural and tribal regions are expected to improve substantially.
