Seven state medical colleges by next year in Telangana

HYDERABAD: The state government has readied a blueprint to fast-track the setting up of seven government medical colleges in the districts within a year.

The Cabinet on Sunday had approved the establishing of medical colleges in Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Mancherial, Jagtial, Sangareddy, Mahbubnagar and Kothagudem.

According to the blueprint, the government will spend Rs 700 crore to set up each medical college. Accordingly, the government has decided to sanction a total budget of Rs 5,000 crore this year for the seven medical colleges. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao will lay foundations for these colleges in July.
The government ordered the Directorate of Medical Education to submit applications to National Medical Commission (NMC) seeking approvals for starting medical colleges from the 2022-23 academic year. The government aims to secure approval for 200 MBBS seats in each college.

In-charge ministers and collectors of respective districts were directed to identify suitable land parcels immediately for setting up the medical colleges. The government has set a deadline of July 2022 to complete construction of the college buildings with all facilities required to get NMC approval.

The government at present operates nine medical colleges with 1,640 seats. This apart, two more medical colleges — AIIMS Bibinagar and ESI, Sanathnagar — are under the Central government. With the addition of seven medical colleges, the total state government colleges in the state will increase to 16. Of these, four medical colleges in Mahbubnagar, Siddipet, Suryapet and Nalgonda were set up after the formation of Telangana state in 2014.

Another 23 medical colleges are under the private sector, taking the total to 41. If the state government secures approval for 1,400 seats in seven new medical colleges, the overall MBBS seats in government colleges will increase significantly to 3,040 and will make medical education accessible to students from poorer and middle classes, who cannot afford huge fees and donations in private medical colleges.