Telangana government grants approval for 8 new medical colleges, will have medical colleges in each district

“The government is taking the necessary steps to commence classes with 100 MBBS seats in each college from next year. With the establishment of these eight new government medical colleges, the government will achieve its goal of having at least one medical college in every district. Upon completion, the total number of government medical colleges in the state will reach 34,” said Telangana Health Minister Harish Rao in a statement.

He also said that this significant development comes as a result of the persistent efforts of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

“Previously, the medical sector faced challenges under the joint Andhra Pradesh rule, leading to numerous lives being lost due to inadequate and delayed medical facilities. It was a distressing situation where individuals had to travel long distances to reach hospitals like Gandhi, Osmania, and NIMS, often resulting in tragic outcomes. Furthermore, aspiring medical students struggled to access MBBS education,” said Harish Rao.

pic.twitter.com/TNkPUIGFTk

— Harish Rao Thanneeru (@BRSHarish) July 5, 2023

Also read: Governor, government at loggerheads over medical colleges

Expanding opportunities 

He said that KCR took action to decentralise medical services after the formation of Telangana. The objective was to make medical education more accessible and provide super-speciality services to the underprivileged.

“Through continuous follow-up and reviews, CM KCR successfully established medical colleges in all districts within a span of nine years,” said Harish Rao.

Since 2014, the Telangana government achieved a remarkable feat by establishing 29 medical colleges. Before 2014, the state had only five medical colleges, including Gandhi Medical College(1954), Osmania Medical College (1946), and Kakatiya Medical College (1959).

Following the formation of Telangana, the government initiated the establishment of medical colleges in Mahbubnagar, Siddipet, Nalgonda, and Suryapet.

Last year, eight medical colleges were established, and this year, classes are commencing in nine medical colleges. With the recent orders, eight additional medical colleges will begin functioning from next year, providing an additional 800 medical seats.

Also read: NMC turns down Mahbubnagar Medical College request

Significant rise in MBBS seat

The establishment of these medical colleges has resulted in a significant increase in MBBS seats in the state. In 2014, there were 850 MBBS seats in government colleges, which has now risen to 3,790.

The eight new medical colleges will contribute 800 more seats, bringing the total available seats in government medical colleges to 4,590. Taking into account both government and private colleges, the number of medical colleges in the state has increased from 20 in 2014 to 56 this year. The number of MBBS seats has also quadrupled from 2,850 to 8,340. Including the seats in the eight new medical colleges, the number rises to 9,140.

Telangana currently holds the top position in the country with 22 MBBS seats per lakh population and the second position with 7.5 PG seats per lakh. In the year 2023-24, Telangana alone will account for 43 percent of the newly available medical seats nationwide, with 900 seats out of a total of 2,118.

“Previously, students faced challenges, including language barriers, and had to undergo hardships by studying in foreign countries like China, the Philippines, and Ukraine. However, now their parents no longer have to worry about their children studying in distant places, reducing the financial burden,’ said Harish Rao.

The state has implemented measures to ensure that MBBS seats are available to Telangana students. This includes reserving 100 percent of the MBBS seats in the Competitive Authority quota for Telangana students and introducing local reservations so that 85 percent of the B category seats are allocated to Telangana students. As a result, an additional 1,820 seats are available to Telangana students.

Also Read: NIRF Rankings 2023: 53 colleges from South India in top 100