The coalition government in Andhra Pradesh has strongly rejected allegations made by the opposition YSR Congress Party and its affiliated media outlets regarding the functioning of 108 ambulance services, describing the claims as baseless and misleading. Referring to the recent incident in Ranasthalam of Srikakulam district, the government placed official response-time data in the public domain to counter deliberate misinformation.

Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav responded on social media platform X, stating that the emergency call related to the Ranasthalam incident was received at 8:05 a.m., relayed to the ambulance at 8:07 a.m., and the vehicle reached the spot by 8:14 a.m. He pointed out that as per norms, ambulances in rural areas are required to reach within 23 minutes, and the response in this case was significantly faster.

“Despite clear evidence of timely response, YSRCP leaders and their affiliated media are spreading false narratives that the ambulance arrived late,” the Minister said, accusing the opposition of attempting to mislead the public.

Satyakumar Yadav further alleged that the 108 system had weakened during the YSRCP government’s tenure. He claimed that due to mismanagement under the previous regime led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, nearly 300 ambulances were left in a dilapidated condition on roadsides and hospital premises. He questioned the earlier government’s decision to award 104 and 108 service tenders for seven years to a single private firm, alleging misuse of public funds and termination of maintenance contracts with original equipment manufacturers.

Coalition MLAs also stepped in to counter the opposition’s claims with on-ground evidence. Kadapa MLA Madhavi Reddy showed media personnel ambulances lying unused at the RIMS hospital premises from the previous government’s tenure, while stating that the current administration has allocated six new ambulances to the district. Similarly, Eluru MLA Badeti Radhakrishna showcased six newly inducted, state-of-the-art ambulances at the district hospital, accusing YSRCP of resorting to false propaganda due to lack of substantive issues.

Overall, the coalition government said it would continue to counter what it termed “politically motivated allegations” with verifiable data, asserting that emergency healthcare services have significantly improved under its administration.