Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu launched the Sanjeevani project in Araku, introducing doorstep healthcare, 104 Arogya Ratham services and drones for transporting blood samples from remote tribal areas.
ARAKU: In a major push to improve healthcare access in remote tribal regions of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched the Sanjeevani health project at Gannela village in Araku constituency, promising to bring medical services closer to tribal households and reduce the need to carry patients in traditional ‘dolis’ across difficult hill terrain.
The initiative combines doorstep healthcare, mobile medical services and technology, including drones for transporting blood samples from remote areas to hospitals for diagnostic testing.
For tribal residents who have long struggled to reach healthcare facilities because of difficult terrain and inadequate connectivity, the project has raised hopes of quicker and easier access to medical care.
Suriboyi Donnu, a septuagenarian tribal resident of Gannela panchayat in Araku mandal, welcomed the initiative and said it could provide significant relief to people living in remote habitations.
For years, residents of inaccessible hill settlements have had to carry patients, including pregnant women, in dolis to reach roads or medical facilities in nearby towns.
Donnu said bringing healthcare services closer to tribal habitations would particularly benefit women and patients requiring urgent medical attention.
Tribal woman Sontari Sorubuddi also expressed happiness over the government's initiative, saying doorstep healthcare would make medical assistance more accessible to people living in remote areas.
After launching Sanjeevani, the Chief Minister visited a nearby Primary Health Centre and inspected the functioning of drone services introduced as part of the healthcare initiative.
Under the system, blood samples collected from tribal residents can be transported by drones to the Government General Hospital at Paderu for testing, helping reduce delays caused by the difficult terrain and travel distances.
Naidu later interacted with Sanjeevani beneficiaries and sought feedback on the technology-enabled healthcare services being delivered at their doorsteps.
Describing Sanjeevani as a potential “game changer” for healthcare delivery, the Chief Minister said the model could make an impact not only in Andhra Pradesh but also serve as an example for other parts of the country.
Naidu said the government was determined to eliminate situations in which patients and pregnant women have to be carried in dolis to access medical care.
He referred to the Talli Bidda Express services introduced for pregnant women and said the government would strengthen healthcare delivery in tribal areas through a combination of vehicles, technology and doorstep medical assistance.
The Chief Minister said 104 services would provide healthcare at the doorsteps of tribal communities, including diagnostic and testing facilities.
Earlier, Naidu flagged off 104 Arogya Ratham vehicles as part of the government's efforts to expand healthcare coverage in tribal regions.
One of the notable moments during the programme came when Divya, a pregnant woman, explained to the Chief Minister how she was receiving medical advice through mobile messages under the Sanjeevani initiative.
While she was speaking with Naidu about the service, she received a call from the Sanjeevani health programme enquiring about her health and advising her on nutrition and supplements during pregnancy.
The interaction offered a live demonstration of how the technology-supported system is being used to maintain contact with beneficiaries.
During another interaction, Surabhi Balaji and Surabhi Madhu explained to the Chief Minister how their families were benefiting from various government welfare programmes.
Gunta Nagamma told Naidu that she had received benefits under the Talliki Vandanam scheme for her four children.
Andipatti Sanyasamma said all four of her children had studied in government schools and that her eldest daughter had qualified in NEET.
Expressing satisfaction over the educational achievements of tribal students, Naidu said the state government was considering setting up a common education centre for tribal children.
The proposed initiative would focus on students from Classes VI to XII and could also provide specialised coaching to help tribal students prepare for national-level entrance examinations.
The Chief Minister stressed that children from tribal communities should be given opportunities to compete at the highest levels in education and professional careers.
Alongside healthcare and education, Naidu emphasised the need to improve the incomes of tribal families through agriculture and entrepreneurship.
He advised farmers in the region to focus on coffee and pepper cultivation as potential sources of additional income and assured them that the state government was prepared to extend the necessary support.
Araku and surrounding tribal areas are already known for coffee cultivation, and the Chief Minister said greater emphasis on high-value crops could help strengthen household incomes.
Naidu also highlighted the clean, green and relatively pollution-free environment of the tribal region, describing it as an important natural advantage.
He urged tribal families to focus on education, skill development and entrepreneurship so that the younger generation could create businesses and employment opportunities while benefiting from the region's natural and agricultural strengths.
With Sanjeevani integrating mobile healthcare, doorstep services, digital communication and drone technology, the government is seeking to address one of the most persistent challenges faced by remote tribal communities: timely access to essential medical care.
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