The Union Health Ministry has set up a proposal to build 100 new medical colleges by 2027 by upgrading district hospitals under the fourth phase of a scheme that aims to boost the availability of human resources for the health sector.
Some official sources from PTI stated that colleges will be set up under the centrally sponsored scheme for the “establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading district or referral hospitals” at an estimated cost of Rs 325 crore per college on the basis of central and state share of 60:40. The share to be contributed by the northeastern and special category states is in the ratio of 90:10 between the Centre and the state.
According to an official source, “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.”
These proposed 100 medical colleges will be set up in 100 districts that have a population of more than 10 lakhs and where there is no private or government medical colleges. The Department of Expenditure has approved the proposal of the Health ministry, and a cabinet note in this regard has already been drafted, official sources said.
Already 157 medical colleges had been approved, and 93 of them have been active while others are at different stages of construction.