Payments are high...services are poor
Officials say that if a deal worth hundreds of crores is struck with government bigwigs beforehand to secure contracts worth thousands of crores, it’s an example of how things work. The ongoing situation in the Andhra Pradesh Medical Department has everyone talking. Wherever they go, the company’s chairman claims that all government bigwigs are in his hands... and even in the CM’s office, he says that whatever he wishes for, happens. As a result, senior officials in the Health Department are not paying much attention to this issue, it is being alleged. It is also being circulated within the department that a transfer of an official was postponed for a whole year by the company’s chairman. A few months ago, the Andhra Pradesh government handed over the responsibility of key emergency services, including 108 and 104 services, to Bhavya Health Services Private Limited. This company secured the contract in collaboration with SRT India Private Limited based in Bangalore. Another crucial point is that the current coalition government is paying significantly more to this company compared to the amount paid by the previous Jagan government, as revealed by official sources. What is strange, however, is that despite paying the company extra, the services are being criticized for being in a dreadful condition.
It is well-known that YSR Congress Party leader and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy severely criticized the 108 services. He alleged that a newborn lost its life because an ambulance did not arrive on time. Criticizing the present government for disabling emergency services meant to save lives, Jagan posted a video of the incident on his X (formerly Twitter) account, pointing out the government’s failures. There has been little response from the government regarding this. It’s not just about 108 services; even regarding the 104 services, Bhavya Health Services is being accused of violating agreements by simply providing medicine without conducting necessary tests. Despite this, the government and the Health Department seem to be turning a blind eye. There are also suspicions that this is all happening according to an agreement with higher authorities.
Officials from the Health Department have expressed confusion about why additional payments are being made to this company now, even though the 108 and 104 services are not being properly managed, unlike the previous government. When a Mumbai-based company tendered for the 108 and 104 services contracts, the tender was rejected in favor of Bhavya Health Services, according to official sources. In fact, related parties have confirmed that the company was qualified for the contract. This has led to claims that senior government officials have allocated the tender to those they favor, giving them substantial profits. Bhavya Health Services' chairman, Donepudi Pawan Kumar, is known to have longstanding close ties with TDP leaders.
