Palnadu Tops Andhra Pradesh Government Healthcare Rankings, 135 Officers Get Notices

Palnadu leads Andhra Pradesh in government health centre feedback, while 135 medical officers receive show-cause notices.

By News National Editorial Team

Palnadu district has secured the top position in Andhra Pradesh in patient feedback on services provided at government Urban and Primary Health Centres, according to an assessment released by the state's Medical and Health Department.

The district recorded an overall patient feedback score of 81.6 per cent in the assessment, which examined the quality and availability of services at government healthcare facilities.

The results provide an insight into how patients evaluate essential public healthcare services, including the availability of doctors, medicines, sanitation and other facilities.

At the same time, the assessment has highlighted differences in performance between districts and prompted the department to take action against medical officers who received completely negative feedback on individual service parameters.

Palnadu leads the district rankings

According to the assessment, Palnadu secured first place with a score of 81.6 per cent.

Polavaram followed with 81.5 per cent, while Nellore recorded 80.7 per cent.

Tirupati secured 78.3 per cent, followed by Krishna district at 77.5 per cent.

The rankings were based on patient feedback collected through an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS).

The department collected responses between July and November 7 to evaluate patient experiences at government Urban and Primary Health Centres.

Kurnool and Anantapur among lower-ranked districts

The assessment also identified districts where patient satisfaction scores were comparatively lower.

Kurnool recorded 69.5 per cent, placing it at the bottom of the district rankings.

Anantapur scored 69.8 per cent, while NTR district recorded 70.9 per cent.

Anakapalli and Markapuram also appeared among the five lowest-performing districts, with scores of 71.5 per cent and 71.8 per cent respectively.

The differences highlight the need for district-level monitoring and improvements in the delivery of primary healthcare services.

135 medical officers receive show-cause notices

An important development emerging from the assessment is the action taken against medical officers at healthcare centres that received completely negative feedback on at least one service parameter.

The Medical and Health Department reportedly issued show-cause notices to 135 medical officers following its October assessment.

The notices were connected to negative patient feedback concerning four areas:

• Availability of doctors.

• Cleanliness and sanitation.

• Whether patients were asked to pay money for medical services.

• Availability and distribution of prescribed medicines.

The department's assessment reportedly identified healthcare centres where patients provided entirely negative responses on at least one of these parameters.

The notices are intended to seek explanations from the concerned medical officers. They should not be treated as final findings of misconduct or proof of wrongdoing.

Government healthcare centres under scrutiny

Primary Health Centres are often the first point of medical contact for people living in rural areas.

Patients depend on these facilities for consultations, basic treatment, medicines, referrals and preventive healthcare.

When doctors are unavailable or essential medicines are not provided, patients may have to travel longer distances or spend additional money at private facilities.

Similarly, sanitation and transparent medical services are essential for maintaining public confidence.

The use of IVRS feedback offers the department an additional mechanism for understanding patient experiences rather than relying exclusively on administrative inspections.

Need for continued monitoring

The district rankings provide an opportunity to identify successful healthcare centres and understand the practices that contribute to better patient experiences.

The government can use the findings to improve staffing, medicine availability, sanitation, grievance handling and monitoring procedures.

However, patient satisfaction scores alone cannot provide a complete picture of healthcare quality. Clinical outcomes, infrastructure, emergency services and the availability of specialists also need to be evaluated.

The latest assessment underlines the importance of accountability in public healthcare.

For residents across Andhra Pradesh, the real measure of success will be whether these rankings and administrative actions result in more reliable, accessible and affordable treatment at government health centres.

Source: The South First, 9 November 2026, based on the Andhra Pradesh Medical and Health Department's assessment.

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