In a strong push for preventive healthcare and institutional cleanliness, Union Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava visited AIIMS Mangalagiri to review Swachhata Pakhwada 2026 activities and dedicate a newly built G+9 undergraduate girls’ hostel block. The visit comes as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare observes Swachhata Pakhwada from April 1–15 across its hospitals and institutes. 

During the inspection, the Health Secretary reviewed cleanliness and sanitation initiatives across hospital premises, patient care areas, waste management systems, OPD spaces and public utilities. She appreciated the institute’s efforts in cleanliness drives, biomedical waste segregation, infection control and awareness-building among staff, students and patients. 

Emphasising the role of hygiene in healthcare outcomes, Srivastava said cleanliness and sanitation are critical enablers of preventive healthcare and play a significant role in reducing disease burden. She also reviewed the institute’s “Waste to Art” gallery, IEC material exhibitions and student-led Swachhata competitions, felicitating sanitation workers, security personnel and staff for maintaining a patient-friendly environment. 

As part of the institutional review, she also visited key healthcare facilities including ABHA registration, radiology services, mammography, X-ray, ultrasound and radiation oncology units equipped with advanced cancer care technologies such as LINAC and brachytherapy. 

A major highlight of the visit was the dedication of the new undergraduate girls’ hostel block, aimed at expanding accommodation capacity and ensuring a safer, more conducive living environment for female students. The visit concluded with discussions on academic excellence, patient care services and long-term institutional development, alongside a plantation drive reflecting the Ministry’s sustainability focus.