YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday strongly defended the renaming of NTR university of health sciences as Dr YSR University of Health Sciences only to give due credit to his father late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy.
“It was aimed at due credit to YSR who himself was a doctor and had introduced revolutionary changes in healthcare system. This is not show any disrespect towards NTR by any means,” Jagan clarified, while intervening during the motion on passage of the bill to rename NTR health university as Dr YSR health university.
He reminded that YSR was a pioneer in taking quality medical care to the common people with his innovative Aarogyasri besides the 108, 104 ambulance services. Of the existing 11 medical colleges in the state, eight were functioning even before TDP was formed and remaining has come into being with the initiative of Dr YSR.
“After we came to power three years ago, our Government is adding 17 medical colleges to give a fillip to healthcare. With this 20 of the 28 medical colleges in the State are due to the efforts of YSR and his son. This itself is a credit which qualifies the renaming of the Health University,” he said.
Jagan said TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, who had instigated his party MLAs to disturb the assembly and party people to hit the streets with agitations on the issue, had actually no love lost for NTR.
“Naidu had usurped the party and Chief Minister post from his father-in-law which led mental agony of the founder of the TDP. Had NTR been alive, he would have become the chief minister again and Naidu would never have dreamt of ascending the throne,” he said.
The chief minister pointed out that Naidu had recommended his cronies, who had helped him backstab NTR, to receive the national awards, but had not recommended NTR’s name for Bharat Ratna.
“We have all the respect towards NTR, which we have displayed by naming one district after him,” Jagan said.
The present government has further strengthened the medicare and has taken steps to equip all hospitals from village clinics to districts hospitals with sufficient staff and medicines while increasing the number of procedures under Aarogyasri.
“Hence, we don’t think there is anything wrong in renaming the health university after my father, who had done tremendous service in the healthcare,” he said.
