Healthy Debate Needed on NEET, Says Health Minister

Hyderabad: Telangana health minister Damodar Rajanarsimha on Monday said a healthy and comprehensive debate on whether conducting entrance exams to medical colleges should be left to the state or whether this task should be with the Centre. The Health Minister’s comment on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test comes in the wake of the controversies surrounding this year’s NEET.

Addressing a large gathering of doctors on the occasion of International Doctors Day, he said the state will soon have more medical colleges for which permissions have been sought.

He said in the next fortnight, foundation stones will be laid for the new Osmania, Gandhi, and Kakatiya medical college hostels and the construction will be completed in two years. In addition to basic infrastructure, there were some imbalances in the human resources allocations in the health department, and that the government will also take steps in this direction to make services for people more effective.

Addressing the doctors, he said, “You are witness to the decisions being taken by the state government. We have decided on solutions to 95 per cent of problems being faced by junior doctors. In addition to improving facilities for doctors and healthcare staff, the government is also focusing on how quickly a patient requiring care – depending on the health issue - is able to get to a hospital. “Our goal is to ensure a patient receives the kind of care required depending on the health condition in the quickest possible time,” Rajanarasimha said.

He said the government is also focusing on appointing heads of departments for various wings of the health department replacing the previous practice of appointing in-charge HoDs.