Aarogya Mitra Help Desks are the free help points inside Dr NTR Vaidya Seva network hospitals — the first place to go when you or a family member needs treatment under the scheme. The staff at the desk explain the scheme, check your eligibility, help with the paperwork, and start the pre-authorisation that lets the hospital treat you cashless. This guide to Aarogya Mitra Help Desks explains what they are, what they do for you, how to use them step by step, and what to carry when you go.
| Detail | Aarogya Mitra Help Desks |
|---|---|
| Where | Inside Dr NTR Vaidya Seva empanelled (network) hospitals |
| What they do | Guide patients, check eligibility, help with pre-authorisation |
| Scheme | Dr NTR Vaidya Seva — cashless treatment up to ₹25 lakh per family per year |
| Portal | drntrvaidyaseva.ap.gov.in |
| Cost | Free — the help desk charges nothing |
| Grievances | Helpline 1902 or gsws-nbm.ap.gov.in |
Aarogya Mitra Help Desks: What They Are
Aarogya Mitra Help Desks are help desks placed inside the hospitals empanelled under Dr NTR Vaidya Seva, the Andhra Pradesh government’s cashless health scheme. The name means “friend of health”, and that is the job: a person at the desk who helps patients and their families through a hospital admission that would otherwise be confusing. When you arrive at a network hospital with a health problem, the Aarogya Mitra desk is where you stop first — before the registration counter, before the ward, before the billing counter.
The desk exists because the scheme, generous as it is, has steps: the hospital must be empanelled, the treatment must be covered, and a pre-authorisation must be approved before the cashless treatment begins. Most patients do not know these steps, and a family in the middle of a medical emergency has no time to learn them. The Aarogya Mitra at the desk knows them, and their job is to walk you through them — in your language, at your pace, without charging you anything.
What the Aarogya Mitra Help Desk Does for You
The Aarogya Mitra Help Desk does four things for a patient. First, it explains: whether your treatment is covered under Dr NTR Vaidya Seva, which documents you need, and what will happen next. Second, it checks: your eligibility and your documents, so that a missing paper does not stop the admission halfway through. Third, it helps with the pre-authorisation — the hospital’s request to the Trust to approve the treatment as cashless. Fourth, it stays as your point of contact during the admission, so that if a question comes up about the scheme, you have someone to ask.
The desk does not decide your treatment — the doctors do that — and it does not pay your bills — the Trust does that through the cashless system. What it does is remove the paperwork and the confusion between you and the treatment. If the hospital is not empanelled, or the treatment is not covered, the desk should tell you so plainly, so that you can make an informed choice instead of discovering the problem at the billing counter.
If the desk tells you the treatment is not covered, ask what is covered and what the alternatives are. Some treatments are covered only at certain hospitals, and some need a referral from a health centre or a government hospital first. The desk can explain the reason, and you can then decide — with the doctor’s advice — whether to proceed at that hospital, seek a second opinion, or go to another network hospital. Do not pay a large sum at the counter before you have asked the desk to explain the position in writing.
How to Use the Aarogya Mitra Help Desk: Step by Step
To use an Aarogya Mitra Help Desk, first find a network hospital. Our guide to Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Network Hospitals explains how to search the portal by district and speciality. When you reach the hospital, ask at the entrance for the Aarogya Mitra desk — it is inside the hospital, usually near the entrance or the registration area. If you cannot find the desk, ask any hospital staff member — they will point you to it.
At the desk, explain the patient’s problem and show your documents. The Aarogya Mitra will check your eligibility and the treatment, and help the hospital start the pre-authorisation. Once the pre-authorisation is approved, the treatment proceeds cashless under the scheme — up to ₹25 lakh per family per year. Our guide to Free Treatment under Dr NTR Vaidya Seva explains the full admission process in detail, and our guide to the AP Universal Health Policy explains how the first ₹2.5 lakh insurer cover and the Trust top-up work for BPL families.
What to Carry to the Aarogya Mitra Help Desk
Carry the patient’s Aadhaar card, the white ration card or other proof of eligibility, and any medical records, prescriptions and test reports you have. If the patient has been treated before for the same problem, carry those records too — they help the doctors and the desk understand the case faster. Carry the medicines the patient is taking, and note down the patient’s existing conditions, such as diabetes or blood pressure.
Take a family member with you if you can. Two people remember more than one, and the attendant can stay with the patient while you speak to the desk or fetch a document. Keep the discharge summary and all bills from any earlier treatment in one folder, and bring that folder every time you visit the hospital — it saves the doctors time and prevents repeat tests.
Keep a family member’s phone number handy, and keep copies of everything you submit. If a document is missing, ask the desk what can be arranged and how long it will take — do not assume the admission cannot happen. And if you feel the desk is not helping, or the hospital is asking for money for a treatment that should be cashless, note the details and raise it through the grievance helpline 1902 or the portal at gsws-nbm.ap.gov.in. For hospital treatment under the national scheme, see our guide to PM-JAY Ayushman Bharat in Andhra Pradesh.
Frequently Asked Questions About Aarogya Mitra Help Desks
Where do I find an Aarogya Mitra Help Desk?
Inside a Dr NTR Vaidya Seva network (empanelled) hospital — ask at the entrance. Find a network hospital on the portal at drntrvaidyaseva.ap.gov.in or in our guide to Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Network Hospitals.
Is the help desk free?
Yes. The Aarogya Mitra Help Desk is a free service for patients. It charges nothing for guidance, eligibility checks, or help with pre-authorisation.
What is pre-authorisation?
Pre-authorisation is the hospital’s request to the Trust to approve the treatment as cashless before it begins. The Aarogya Mitra desk helps with it. Once approved, the treatment proceeds under the scheme, up to ₹25 lakh per family per year.
What documents should I carry?
The patient’s Aadhaar card, white ration card or other proof of eligibility, and all medical records, prescriptions and test reports. Carry the medicines the patient is taking and keep copies of everything you submit.
Where can I get more information or raise a complaint?
On the scheme portal at drntrvaidyaseva.ap.gov.in and the Andhra Pradesh government portal at ap.gov.in. For grievances, call 1902 or use gsws-nbm.ap.gov.in.
Aarogya Mitra Help Desks are the human face of Dr NTR Vaidya Seva: a free desk inside the hospital that explains the scheme, checks your papers, and helps with the pre-authorisation that makes treatment cashless. Find a network hospital, go to the desk first, carry your documents, and let the Aarogya Mitra guide you through the admission.
Last updated: November 2026