Telangana is poised to achieve an unprecedented milestone in medical education as Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao inaugurates nine new medical colleges in the state on Friday. This historic move not only signifies a significant boost to medical education and tertiary healthcare but also places Telangana at the forefront as the first Indian state to establish government medical colleges in all its districts.
In a remarkable feat, Telangana stands alone in having successfully established nine medical colleges and gaining permission to enroll a staggering 900 MBBS seats in a single academic year (2023-24). This accomplishment means that Telangana secured an impressive 43 percent of all government MBBS seats granted permission by the National Medical Commission (NMC) across India.
This year, out of a total of 2,118 medical seats that received NMC approval, 900 were allocated to Telangana. All necessary procedures, including seat allotment and formalities related to student enrollment at the new campuses in Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Khammam, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Asifabad, Nirmal, Rajanna Sircilla, Vikarabad, and Jangaon, have been successfully completed.
The state of Telangana is not resting on its laurels. Works are already in progress to establish eight additional government medical colleges and the associated district hospitals by the next academic year in 2024-25. These new institutions will be set up in Jogulamba Gadwal, Narayanpet, Mulugu, Warangal, Medak, Yadadri Bhongir, Rangareddy, and Medchal Malkajgiri.
Health Minister T Harish Rao expressed the visionary objective of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, stating, “It is the vision of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao to transform Telangana into Arogya Telangana. We will be the first state to establish government medical colleges in all districts, which will foster more opportunities for students to pursue medical education and further enhance healthcare services.”
Amidst Telangana’s commendable efforts to complete the construction of nine medical colleges, upgrade associated district hospitals, and recruit teaching faculty to prepare for NMC inspections, the BJP-led Union Government at the center has made unsubstantiated claims regarding its role in sanctioning and funding these institutions.
Repeatedly, both last year and this year, the BJP-led Union Government has propagated false information, asserting that it established and financially supported Telangana’s medical colleges. However, it is essential to set the record straight that the Union Government, under its Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) titled ‘Establishment of new Medical Colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals,’ has neither allocated funds nor established a single medical college in Telangana.
To dispel any confusion, it is worth noting that the Telangana Government invested over Rs 4,500 crore, with each medical college developed at a cost exceeding Rs 400 crore, to establish these nine medical colleges. Furthermore, it was the National Medical Commission (NMC), and not the Union Government, that granted recognition to these institutions, emphasizing the state’s remarkable achievement in expanding medical education.
Telangana’s achievement in establishing nine medical colleges and securing 900 MBBS seats for the 2023-24 academic year is a testament to the state’s commitment to advancing medical education and healthcare services. This milestone positions Telangana as a pioneering state in India, setting an exemplary standard for others to emulate. As the state continues its ambitious journey by planning to establish eight more government medical colleges, Telangana’s dedication to healthcare and education is poised to make a lasting impact on the nation’s medical landscape.
