Telangana to produce 10,000 doctors a year, says KCR after opening 9 new medical colleges

HYDERABAD: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) has said that Telangana is on track to produce 10,000 doctors every year through private and government medical colleges. KCR was speaking on Friday after virtually inaugurating nine new Government medical colleges in Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Khammam, Jayashankar Bhupalpalli, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Nirmal, Rajanna Siricilla, Vikarabad and Jangoan districts.

Speaking on the occasion, KCR said, "We are setting up medical colleges for each district in Telangana. If there were five medical colleges in the past, today the number has reached 26. Eight more colleges will be opened from the next academic year." he added that the State Cabinet has also approved the proposal.

The Chief Minister elaborated on the substantial increase in medical seats, noting that in 2014, Telangana had 2,850 medical seats, but this number had grown to 8,515 by 2023. KCR expressed his appreciation for the efforts of Minister Harish Rao and the health department in achieving the landmark of reserving 85 per cent of medical seats for Telangana students, following a successful legal battle.

"We are on the path to producing 10,000 doctors annually through both private and government medical colleges. The white coat revolution will become a protective shield for Telangana," said KCR, underlining the importance of these future medical professionals in safeguarding the State's healthcare system and contributing to the nation's health.

Stating how the establishment of the colleges would help the State, KCR said, "Five medical colleges have come up in Palamuru region which previously did not have a single college. Three colleges have come up in Nalgonda. We are going to create miracles by establishing medical colleges in the remote districts of Asifabad, Mulugu and Bhupalpalli," he added.

Giving details about how the healthcare sector has transformed since the formation of Telangana, KCR said, "Telangana is the only State in the country with 22 MBBS seats per lakh of population. When the State was formed, there were 17,000 beds across hospitals. Now the number has expanded to 34,000 beds."

The Chief Minister also announced plans for further expansion, including the construction of Telangana Institite of Medical Sciences (TIMS) with 1,000 beds each in Gachibowli, LB Nagar, Alwal, and Erragada. He added that NIMS would also be expanded with 2,000 additional beds.

"The number of beds in hospitals in the State is going to touch 50,000," concluded KCR and appreciated the health department on this occasion.