Andhra Health Minister to open 264 Village Health Clinic buildings on October 6

Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav is scheduled to inaugurate the newly constructed buildings for 264 Village Health Clinics, also known as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, in 24 districts on October 6.

According to a release issued by the Health Department, the Minister will participate in the inauguration ceremony at Janardhanapuram village near Gudivada of Krishna district and the other buildings will be inaugurated in virtual mode.

Out of the total 264 buildings, Krishna district has the highest of 42, followed by Anantapur (29) , Kurnool (27), Bapatla (18), Palnadu and Prakasam (14 each), and NTR, Markapuram and Nellore districts (13 each).

The buildings have been constructed at a cost of ₹103.16 crore. The government has undertaken the construction of 4,472 Village Health Clinic buildings and allocated ₹1,128.02 crore for the purpose. The Health Department has set a deadline of December 2026 for construction of 2,750 buildings, the release said.

The move has come as a relief for many CHOs in the State, who have been running Ayushman Arogya Mandirs from rented buildings. Since they were having to spend ₹3,000 to ₹4,000 out of their pockets on rents, a government building had become one of their chief demands during the protests in the years 2024 and 2025.

Ayushman Arogya Mandir or Health and Wellness Centres or VHCs is a concept introduced by the Union government under the National Health Mission in 2018 to ensure that primary healthcare needs reach everyone. 

The guidelines mandate the existence of a VHC for every 5,000 people. Each facility is staffed by one Community Health Officer or Mid-level Healthcare Provider, one auxiliary nurse, and three to four ASHA workers.

There are more than 10,000 VHCs in Andhra Pradesh.