13 more medical colleges to be set up in Telangana: KTR

HYDERABAD: In a move aimed at giving impetus to medical education, the Telangana government has decided to set up 13 more medical colleges across the state. The state had only five medical colleges until 2014. After the formation of a separate Telangana, the K Chandrashekar Rao-led government sanctioned 16 new medical colleges in the last eight years. With 13 more being added now, every district of the state will soon boast of one medical college each.

IT Minister Kalvatuntla Taraka Rama Rao (KTR) took to Twitter on Sunday to share this news, which will be seen as a welcome move by all the medical education aspirants in the state. In a tweet, KTR said: "Hon'ble Telangana CM KCR garu has scripted history in medical education. Prior to 2014, in 67 years, only 5 medical colleges were set up in Telangana. In the last eight years, 16 new Medical colleges sanctioned and 13 more are going to be set up, making it one medical college per district".

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government led by KCR The Telangana government has been according highest priority to boosting medical education in the state. Soon after Telangana was formed into a separate state, there was this instant realisation that many more colleges were needed to cater to the growing number of MBBS students every year.

The state, till that point, had only five medical colleges. Against this backdrop, the state government has decided in principle that every district should host a medical college each, sooner or later.

Initially, 12 medical colleges were sanctioned by the government at different places. Out of these, four colleges at Mahabubnagar, Siddipet, Suryapet and Nalgonda are fully functioning. The ones in Sangareddy, Mahabubabad, Nagar Kurnool, Wanaparthy, Ramagundam and Jagtial were at different phases of construction. Kothagudem medical college is ready for inauguration.

The government has also decided to construct eight colleges with attached hospitals at Asifabad, Bhupalpally, Vikarabad, Siricilla, Jangaon, Kamareddy, Karimnagar and Khammam. Speaking about the construction of new medical colleges, Health Minister T Harish Rao said in the State Assembly in March: "Every year, nearly 2,000 MBBS seats are being added in the state. Keeping this demand in view, the State Government has been giving top priority to the medical and health sector."