Andhra Pradesh government is running Village Health Clinics across villages to provide healthcare at the doorstep of villagers. These clinics were first started as Dr YSR Rural Clinics under former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and are now known simply as Village Health Clinics (VHCs) under the current state government. As of 2026, more than 10,032 such clinics are working across Andhra Pradesh, and a fresh ₹1,129 crore has been approved to build permanent buildings for 4,472 of them.
Health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav approved this construction plan in August 2025 to fix a long-standing problem: out of 10,032 VHCs running in the state, only 1,086 had their own government building, and the rest were working out of rented rooms. This article explains how these village clinics work, who runs them, what facilities they offer, and what has changed recently.
Village Health Clinics Andhra Pradesh 2026
Village Health Clinics were formally launched on 26 January 2022 (Republic Day) to take basic healthcare down to the village level instead of making people travel to a Primary Health Centre (PHC). Each clinic is attached to a village secretariat and covers a population of around 2,000 people. Before these clinics came up, PHCs at the mandal (block) level were the only option for most villagers, which meant long travel for small health checks.
New buildings are being added under a one-year completion target announced in August 2025, with 80 percent of the construction cost coming from the central government and the rest from the state and grant-based sources. This project also covers 2,309 clinic buildings that were left incomplete during the previous government's term.
Staff at Village Health Clinics
Each rural clinic under this scheme has the following staff members posted to handle day to day patient care:
- Mid-Level Health Providers (MLHPs) who have completed B.Sc. Nursing and a Certificate Programme in Community Health (CPCH), and who handle common ailments and basic treatment at the clinic.
- Auxiliary Nursing Midwife (ANM) staff who report to the rural clinic and take care of maternal and child health needs.
- ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers who report to the clinic and help connect villagers to the health system.
Health Records Through Arogyasri Card
Village clinics stay connected with PHCs through regular video calls and are also linked to laboratories for tests. Health records of villagers are available at their village clinic through the Arogyasri Card. Scanning the QR code on this card lets clinic staff pull up a person's health history quickly, without paperwork.
PHC doctors from nearby areas can access these same records when they visit villages from time to time. Every mandal has 2 PHCs, each with two doctors, and these are linked to emergency health services and ambulance services for cases that need more than basic care.
Facilities at Village Health Clinics
Clinic staff provide 12 basic medical services and 14 types of basic diagnostic tests on site, and 64 types of medicines are stocked at each clinic. Along with this, 67 types of basic medical equipment are kept at the clinics, and telemedicine services connect patients to doctors when required.
New Buildings Being Built in 2025-26
Under the August 2025 approval, new clinic buildings are spread across districts based on need. Srikakulam gets the highest count with 284 new buildings, followed by Nandyal (272), Eluru (263), Konaseema (242), Krishna (240), Alluri Sitarama Raju (239), Chittoor (229), Bapatla (211), Parvathipuram Manyam (205), Prakasam and Nellore (203 each), and Anakapalli (200). In the Rayalaseema region, more than 100 new buildings each are planned for Tirupati, Kurnool, Annamayya, Anantapur, and Sri Sathya Sai districts.
Separately, the health department has also approved recruitment of 238 doctors, including 148 specialist Civil Assistant Surgeons and 90 general Civil Assistant Surgeons, on a one-year contract basis to strengthen healthcare across the state.
AP Government Investment in Rural Healthcare
Andhra Pradesh state government had earlier invested ₹16,203 crore to upgrade government hospitals and medical colleges across the state, along with recruitment of 14,200 doctors and paramedical staff to avoid staff shortage in hospitals. Village clinics form the base level of this larger rural healthcare push, and their upkeep is now linked with Central government schemes for primary healthcare infrastructure.
People who need hospital-level treatment after a visit to a village clinic can also check their coverage under the AP Aarogyasri health card scheme, which covers hospitalisation costs for eligible families.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scheme Name | Village Health Clinics (formerly Dr YSR Rural Clinics) |
| Launched By | Andhra Pradesh Government (launched 26 January 2022) |
| Total Clinics | 10,032 across the state |
| Population Covered per Clinic | Around 2,000 people |
| New Buildings Approved (2025) | 4,472 buildings at a cost of ₹1,129 crore |
| Funding Pattern | 80% Central government, rest State/grant funded |
| Beneficiaries | Rural residents of Andhra Pradesh |
| Official Website | hmfw.ap.gov.in |
FAQ's
Is the YSR Rural Clinics scheme still running in 2026?
Yes. Clinics are still working across the state, now referred to as Village Health Clinics, and the government approved fresh funding in August 2025 to build permanent buildings for thousands of them.
How many Village Health Clinics are there in Andhra Pradesh?
There are 10,032 Village Health Clinics across the state, though only a small share of them currently run from government-owned buildings, with the rest working out of rented premises until new construction finishes.
What services are available at a village clinic?
Villagers can get basic medical services, diagnostic tests, common medicines, and telemedicine consultations at their local clinic, along with access to their health records through the Arogyasri Card.
Source / Reference Link: https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/4472-village-clinics-to-get-permanent-buildings-across-state-1001302