The average time taken to provide Outpatient (OP) services in govt hospitals has dropped from 42 minutes to just 26 minutes

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

The Andhra Pradesh government’s ongoing reforms in the public health sector are yielding promising results, with significant improvements recorded in staff attendance and patient services across the state, Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav announced on Thursday.

Reviewing the performance of the April–September 2025 period, the Minister noted that the average time taken to provide Outpatient (OP) services in government hospitals has dropped from 42 minutes to just 26 minutes, thanks to enhanced monitoring, additional OP counters, and streamlined processes.

The number of OP counters in government hospitals has nearly doubled from 80 to 150, while ABHA registration counters increased from 53 to 116. Over 4 crore OP services and 2.5 crore diagnostic tests, including X-rays, ultrasounds, ECGs, and lab tests, were conducted during this six-month period.

The Minister expressed satisfaction that the attendance of government doctors and health staff has improved from 83% in April to 92% in September, with an overall average of 87%. Attendance among nurses and paramedical staff stood above 90%, while doctors’ attendance averaged 82%, prompting directives for corrective measures.

Among major hospitals, Visakhapatnam KGH (93.13%), Kurnool GGH (92.71%), and Rajahmundry GGH (91.46%) topped the list in attendance, while Nellore (66.44%), Eluru (76.30%), and Guntur (77.84%) lagged behind. Medical colleges in Tirupati, Kakinada, and Visakhapatnam recorded attendance above 95%.

Under the newly introduced district evaluation system, East Godavari, Kadapa, and Tirupati emerged as top performers, while Alluri Sitaramaraju, Guntur, and Srikakulam trailed. The Minister also lauded progress under the National Health Mission, particularly in disease control and maternal and child health programs.

Minister Yadav credited the results to continuous supervision and accountability mechanisms, but cautioned that more work remains to completely overhaul the system. He directed officials to act swiftly to address identified deficiencies and ensure consistent healthcare delivery across all districts.