Finance
The Union Health Ministry has proposed establishing 100 new medical colleges by 2027 by upgrading district hospitals as part of the fourth phase of a scheme to increase the availability of human resources in the health sector.
The colleges will be established under a centrally sponsored scheme for the “establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading district or referral hospitals” at a cost of Rs 325 crore per college, according to official sources.
The northeastern and special category states are funded in a 90:10 split between the Centre and the state.
The Health Ministry’s proposal has been approved by the Department of Expenditure, and a cabinet note in this regard has already been drafted, official sources said.
157 medical colleges were approved in the last three phases, with 93 of them now operational and the rest in various stages of construction.
These proposed 100 medical colleges will be established in 100 districts with a population of more than ten lakh people and no private or government medical colleges.
“The proposal to set up 100 medical colleges by upgrading district hospitals in the fourth phase of the scheme has been approved by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC), after which a Cabinet note has been prepared,” an official source said.
The centrally sponsored scheme also includes a new component of providing Rs 10 crore each for the establishment of nursing colleges in addition to the 157 medical colleges already approved in the first three phases, according to the source.
But this will require amendment in the existing minimum standard requirement regulations of the NMC in which such attachment of medical and nursing colleges is not allowed.
Source:IE
