Committed to transforming A.P. Medtech Zone into a global hub of manufacturing medical equipment, says Naidu

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said that the Central and State governments are committed to transforming the Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone (AMTZ) into a global hub for manufacturing of medical equipment. The Chief Minister visited the AMTZ at Nadupuru near here on July 11 (Thursday) evening and addressed the employees.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said that the Central and State governments are committed to transforming the Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone (AMTZ) into a global hub for manufacturing of medical equipment.

The Chief Minister visited the AMTZ at Nadupuru near here on July 11 (Thursday) evening and addressed the employees.

Mr. Naidu said the AMTZ project was started in April 2016, recalling the contribution of AMTZ founder and CEO Jitendar Sharma. “I gave the idea and he (Mr. Sharma) brought it to fruition. A small initiative has created history. Today, I am satisfied that the AMTZ played a key role in saving lives during the COVID-19 pandemic by manufacturing and supplying critical medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators and ventilators,” said Mr. Naidu.

He said Mr. Sharma had been appointed as the adviser to the State government on medical and health matters. “I wanted Mr. Sharma to create a medical equipment manufacturing hub in Viskhapatnam for which the government has allocated 275 acres of land. Today, the AMTZ has more than 140 companies, providing employment to 6,000 people,” he said.

Mr. Naidu said that the AMTZ did not get the required support after his party was defeated in the 2019 elections. “However, Mr. Sharma’s dedication and determination have saved the AMTZ . He kept approaching the Centre with innovative ideas and the Centre gave funds to the project. The AMTZ had produced 100 ventilators and 500 oxygen concentrators a day during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

He also spoke about his plan to establish a World Trade Centre at the AMTZ.

Earlier, AMTZ CEO Jitender Sharma said that AMTZ, with 145 companies, was producing a wide range of medical equipment such as MRI machines, CT scans, heart valves and pacemakers and masks among others. “The AMTZ is also making cyclotrons which produce radio isotopes for cancer care. A number of ‘Made in India’ hospitals would be set up across the country and the entire medical equipment required for these hospitals would be produced in AMTZ,” he said.