KCR inaugurates 8 new medical colleges in Telangana, says its golden era in medical education in the state

As setting up one medical college in each district is the government’s policy, 16 more colleges are expected to come up this year and next year.

The chief minister, speaking on the occasion, said that the number of medical seats in the state used to be 850, but had now gone up to 2,790, which was a four-fold increase.

In the past, the number of PG seats was only 515, but it has gone up to 1,180 now, while the number of super-speciality seats has gone up to 152 from 70.

He said it was heartening to note that the students coming out of residential colleges were highly talented and were securing medical seats after clearing NEET.

The availability of seats in government colleges in the state was an opportunity for students from the Dalit, tribal and other weaker sections to gain access to medical education, the chief minister said.

“Our target is to bring a government medical college to every district. With this launch, we have a medical college in 17 districts. The number will soon come to 33 medical colleges in all the 33 districts in the state,” said KCR.

He said he did not overlook the need to increase the number of paramedical staff, radiologists, and lab technicians along with the increase in the number of colleges.

There would be nursing colleges for each medical college set up, he said, adding that paramedical courses would be started in important towns like Warangal.

‘Golden era’ in medical education in the state?

The chief minister described the inauguration of the colleges as the beginning of a golden era in medical education in the state.

Telangana, which was the most backward and most exploited region once, is now a separate state on the road to development, he said.

“The problem of acute scarcity for drinking water, power supply, and medical seats is a thing of the past,” he said.

The chief minister said no one had thought medical colleges would come up in remote areas like Mahabubabad and Wanaparthy, and that became possible only after the creation of Telangana state.

He praised Medical and Health Minister T Harish Rao for his efforts in setting up the medical colleges.

“The Telangana government has increased the 85 percent local reservations in B category medical seats as well. Due to this decision, 1,067 seats will be allotted to Telangana students,” said Rao.

‘Not a single college sanctioned to Telangana’

Attacking the BJP government at the Centre,  the Telangana Health Minister T Harish Rao has said that while it sanctioned 157 medical colleges in the country, not a single college was sanctioned in Telangana.

Zero contribution & repeated discrimination from Central Govt didn’t stop Telangana govt because CM KCR garu accords top priority to people’s health & increased medical colleges from 5 to 17 in 8years. 2/2#TelanganaHealthCare#TelanganaHealthEducation pic.twitter.com/0QZLtsbRLb

— Harish Rao Thanneeru (@trsharish) November 14, 2022

Recently, Union Minister of Culture and BJP leader G Kishan Reddy said that nine medical colleges had been set up in Telangana with the help of the Central government.

In reply, Harish Rao asked for proof and said he woykd show the document of proposals. He said it was “perverse politics” to say that the Centre had given colleges when it hadn’t.

“One Centrally sponsored AIIMS came to the state, but it has no operation theatre. No oxygen. Not a single operation is taking place. The students are doing practicals in Bhuvanagiri hospital,” claimed Rao.

(With inputs from Sumit Jha)