Bhubaneswar, May 22: The central government today approved establishment of two medical colleges in public-private partnership mode in the tribal-dominated Rayagada and Gajapati districts.

State health secretary P.K. Mohapatra, who was present at a meeting in New Delhi today, said the two medical colleges would have 500 beds each.

While the private parties would build and run the medical college and hospital, the state government would provide the required infrastructure. The Centre and the state government will provide Rs 70 crore each for the projects.

The facilities are expected to boost to the medical infrastructure in the two backward districts, which often report diarrhoea, cholera and other serious ailments.

Earlier, the central government had sanctioned five government-run medical colleges in Puri, Balasore, Baripada, Balangir and Koraput.

At present, the state has three government-run medical colleges in Cuttack, Berhampur and at Burla near Sambalpur with 150 MBBS seats each. Besides, there are three private medical colleges in Bhubaneswar and another in Rourkela having 100 MBBS seats each.

The government has also increased seats for specialised courses in SCB Medical College in Cuttack and MKCG Medical College in Berhampur.