Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy laid the foundation stone for the new PHFI Institute of Public Health Sciences campus on Saturday and set June 2, 2028, as the deadline for its completion, as the state links the relocation of the existing Rajendranagar campus to works connected with the Musi river project.
The new campus is intended to strengthen public health research, healthcare policy, disease surveillance, education and capacity building in Telangana. The existing campus and its equipment will be shifted to the new facility after construction is completed, according to the report.
Reddy said the state government would extend financial and other necessary support to the university. He also offered to personally serve as its brand ambassador. During the foundation stone event, he unveiled the campus master plan, reviewed the building designs and suggested changes to the proposed layouts.
The chief minister said Telangana had substantial health data that could support the identification of disease patterns and the planning of targeted interventions. He referred to the state’s decision to make cancer a notifiable disease and said data collected through the Aarogyasri healthcare programme could help identify the prevalence of health conditions in different regions.
He also linked public health outcomes to environmental conditions, citing fluorosis in Nalgonda and pollution in the Musi river. According to Reddy, pollution in the Musi was affecting the health of people living in the region and could also have consequences for unborn children. He said rejuvenating the river was therefore essential.
The proposed institute is expected to focus on research and evidence-based policymaking, while also building skills and institutional capacity in public health. Chancellor Prof. K. Srinath Reddy said the university would be locally important, nationally relevant and globally recognised. He added that the institution would prioritise the One Health approach and examine its implications for public health in Telangana.
The institute’s president, Prof. Sanjay Zodpey, described the university as a collective vision and acknowledged the support provided by the state government. Vice-Chancellor M. Vishnu Vardhana Rao spoke about the institution’s development, journey and research work.
The campus forms part of a wider expansion of healthcare infrastructure announced by the Telangana government. Reddy said the state was spending around Rs 2,500 crore annually through Aarogyasri and the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. He also said approximately Rs 12,000 crore was being invested in healthcare infrastructure, including Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences hospitals and a new Osmania General Hospital at Goshamahal.
The state government has presented the public health sciences campus as part of its broader focus on education, healthcare and industrial development. Reddy cited institutions such as the Indian School of Business and Nalsar University of Law as examples of organisations that have enhanced Hyderabad’s international recognition, and said PHFI-IPHS could play a similar role in the healthcare sector.
The immediate milestone for the project is the construction of the new campus, which the chief minister has directed officials and the institution to complete by June 2, 2028. The existing Rajendranagar facilities and equipment are to be shifted to the new site in connection with the government’s works related to the Musi river project.
