Centre approves 10 new medical colleges

JAIPUR: The Centre has approved 10 new medical colleges with 300 seats each for the state, which will be functional within three years, officials said.

The colleges will come up in Alwar, Jaisalmer, Banswara, Nagaur, Chittorgarh, Bundi, Sirohi, Karauli, Baran and Sriganganagar. The number of government medical colleges in the state now stands at 24.

“The setting up of new medical colleges will help overcome the shortage of human resources and improve the quality of health care available in the state,” said Rohit Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary, health department.

Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje thanked the central government for approving the medical colleges.

In a tweet, she said, “Many thanks to respected prime minister Narendra Modi and union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan for sanctioning 10 new medical colleges in Rajasthan and Rs 325 crore for the colleges.”

Singh said the Centre would give 60% of the money for construction of the new colleges. “The Centre will give Rs 2100 crore while the state’s contribution would be Rs 1000 crore,” he said.

Singh said initially the state had decided to send a proposal for only five medical colleges but later revised it and sent proposals for ten.

“This is the first time that the centre has approved 10 medical colleges in one go,” the additional chief secretary said.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) had given approval to five medical colleges in Pali, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Churu and Dungarpur in 2018 after inspection. In May 2019, the MCI gave approval to the medical college in Barmer, taking the total number of government medical colleges in the state to 14.