The Union Health Ministry has prepared a proposal to set up 100 new medical colleges by 2027 by upgrading district hospitals as part of the fourth phase of a scheme aimed at boosting human resource availability for the health sector.
The colleges will be set up under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Establishment of New Medical Colleges by Upgrading District or Referral Hospitals” at an estimated cost of Rs 325 crore per college on 60:40 basis Central and State share. Sources told PTI.
The funding pattern for North Eastern and Special Category States is in the ratio of 90:10 between the Center and the State.
Official sources said that the Department of Expenditure has approved the proposal of the Health Ministry and a cabinet note has been drafted in this regard.
In the last three phases, 157 medical colleges were sanctioned, and 93 of them have become functional, while others are in various stages of construction.
These proposed 100 medical colleges will be set up in 100 districts which have a population of more than 10 lakh and where there is no private or government medical college.
“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.
In addition, the Centrally Sponsored Scheme has a new component of providing Rs 10 crore each for setting up Nursing Colleges attached to the existing 157 Medical Colleges already approved in the first three phases.
But this would require amendment to the existing Minimum Standard Requirement Regulations of NMC which do not allow such attachment of medical and nursing colleges.
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