Andhra Pradesh launches 47 medical tests under preventive healthcare plan

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday approved an extensive preventive healthcare plan, including 47 types of medical tests for people identified through surveys as having lifestyle diseases.

Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said that under the programme, 47 types of medical tests will be conducted for an individual through 104 mobile medical units. The government will spend Rs 162 crore annually, news agency PTI reported.

According to an official release, "An extensive preventive healthcare initiative aimed at assessing individual health conditions through comprehensive medical screening has been approved by the government," Yadav said.

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Comprehensive screening and early detection are essential to safeguard public health and prevent diseases effectively, he said.

The scheme will cover 56.4 lakh individuals annually, including those identified under the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) survey and students residing in welfare hostels.

The initiative marks a shift from the existing system, which largely focuses on treatment after disease occurrence, towards a preventive and data-driven healthcare model. Currently, only six types of basic tests are conducted once every 15 days at the village level using rapid kits, which often lack accuracy, the release said, reports PTI.

Officials noted that the lack of structured disease profiles and electronic health records at village, mandal and district levels has hampered long-term health monitoring.

Under the upgraded services, the 47 tests will span 11 categories, including liver function, urine analysis, lipid profile, blood counts, electrolytes and renal function tests.

Additional tests will cover glucose levels, coagulation parameters, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) indicators and other diagnostic categories to ensure a comprehensive health evaluation.

Based on the results, individual disease profiles and electronic health records will be systematically created for better monitoring and intervention.

The minister said the initiative will also provide guidance under the Sanjeevani scheme to help individuals adopt preventive measures and manage future health risks.

In the first phase of the five-year programme, service providers operating 104 mobile units will equip vehicles with advanced diagnostic equipment, including analysers, microscopes and incubators.

Each unit is expected to conduct tests for 20 individuals daily, covering around 520 people per month with full diagnostic profiling.

The minister directed officials to ensure early rollout of the scheme, with preparations underway to launch services within two months across the state.

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