AP Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav announces three new Cath Labs and a Rs. 34 crore cardiac infrastructure plan for government hospitals.
Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government is expanding cardiac healthcare facilities in government hospitals with new Cath Labs, heart-lung machines and advanced medical equipment at a total estimated cost of Rs. 34 crore, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said on Monday.
Ahead of World Heart Day on September 29, the minister said the government was strengthening cardiac services so that poor patients would not have to travel long distances for specialised treatment.
Three new Cath Labs are being established at government teaching hospitals in Tirupati, Nellore and Srikakulam, with the tender process currently underway. The facilities are expected to cost around Rs. 18 crore.
The minister said eight Cath Labs are currently functioning in government teaching hospitals across the state. Five are being operated by the government and three under public-private partnership arrangements. The existing Cath Lab at Kakinada Government General Hospital has also been modernised under a PPP arrangement.
The state is also procuring four additional heart-lung machines for government hospitals in Tirupati, Kadapa, Anantapur and Guntur, at an estimated cost of Rs. 10 crore.
Heart-lung machines are already available at hospitals in Kurnool, Guntur and Vijayawada, while one has also been made available at Visakhapatnam's King George Hospital through corporate social responsibility funding.
Another Rs. 6 crore will be spent on cardiac equipment. This includes Rs. 2 crore for advanced 2D Echo machines at Kurnool and Guntur hospitals and Rs. 4 crore for ICU monitors, defibrillators and other equipment required for cardiac procedures.
The government is also preparing to introduce open-heart surgeries at Anantapur, with a heart-lung machine being made available for the facility. A 50,000-square-foot heart centre is also proposed in Kakinada with support from a corporate organisation, the minister said.
According to the minister, the state's 10 heart centres provided outpatient services to 4,48,863 people during 2024-25 and 2025-26. During the period, 27,024 patients were admitted for treatment.
The centres performed 4,724 angioplasties, 14,320 angiograms, 359 bypass surgeries and 111 heart valve replacement procedures, besides other cardiac interventions.
In 2025-26, Guntur Government General Hospital recorded 53,505 cardiac OP cases and 2,324 admissions, while Visakhapatnam KGH reported 43,783 OP cases and 2,622 admissions. Kurnool Government General Hospital recorded 26,189 OP cases and 2,697 admissions.
Through the NTR Vaidya Seva Trust, eligible patients can access free cardiac treatment across empanelled hospitals in Andhra Pradesh and other cities, including Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai.
The minister said 340 types of cardiology and cardiovascular treatments are covered. Since 2024, cardiac treatment worth Rs. 1,767.79 crore has been provided through the scheme, including Rs. 323 crore during 2026-27 so far.
Between September 2025 and August 2026, the scheme approved cardiac treatment for 1,41,934 beneficiaries, with the 50-59 age group accounting for the largest share at 29.58%.
The minister stressed that the first hour following a heart attack is critical. Under the STEMI programme, 5,111 patients received free Tenecteplase injections between June 2024 and September 25, 2026.
The injections, costing approximately Rs. 40,000 per patient, were provided as part of emergency cardiac care. According to the minister, 95.69% of the beneficiaries survived.
The government said the expansion of cardiac infrastructure is aimed at improving access to timely and specialised heart care, particularly for economically weaker sections of society.
