CM to Open 5 New Medical Colleges

VISHAKHAPATNAM: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will inaugurate the Vizianagaram government medical college on Friday and virtually launch the medical colleges at Rajamahendravaram, Eluru, Machilipatnam and Nandyal.

Giving an impetus to public health,  the state government is  investing '8,480 crore for the construction of 17 new government medical colleges across the state.

The five new medical colleges have started classes in the same academic year. Classes will start in five more MCs in the coming academic year, while the remaining seven would start classes the following year.

Notably, only 11 government medical colleges had been established in the state since Independence, whereas the YSRC government is adding another 17 GMCs during its five-year term. With this, 2,550 MBBS seats would be added to the existing 2185 seats in medical colleges.

Similarly, the government has also increased the PG seats to 1767 from 966. The government also plans to establish a government medical college in each parliamentary constituency.

On health service, a report said that under the Dr YSR Aarogyasri and Dr YSR Aarogya Aasara,  free treatment is being given for 3,257 medical procedures. This number was limited to 1,059 during the term of the previous government, it is stated.

The Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government’s Family Doctor initiative is providing free medical treatment to the people in rural areas.

The government has appointed 53,126 new medical staff and renovated health sector infra at a cost of Rs 16,852 crore under ‘Nadu - Nedu’. The existing 11 government medical colleges have been upgraded with an expenditure of Rs 3,820 crore.

Under the YSR Pension Kanuka, chronic patients are eligible for a monthly pension of Rs 3000 to Rs 10,000.

The government also set up 10,132 village health clinics, each covering 2,500 persons. Similarly, 542 UPHCs were established in urban areas. With a focus on tribal health, five tribal multi-speciality hospitals are being built at a cost of Rs 246.30 crore at Seethampet, Parvathipuram, Rampachodavaram, Buttayagudem, and Dornala.

A 200-bed super speciality hospital, a kidney research centre and a dialysis unit in Palasa at a cost of Rs 80 crore and a super specialty hospital, a cancer hospital and a mental health center are being built in Kadapa at a cost of Rs 272 crore are being built.

Three medical hubs in Visakhapatnam, Guntur and Kurnool for cardiac patients, 177 CHCs and area hospitals offering cardiac services are being planned. Steps are being taken to establish six cancer care centres in Guntur, Kurnool, Visakhapatnam, Kadapa, Kakinada and Ananthapuram.