Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday inaugurated five new medical colleges in the state. After inaugurating the 33-acre Vizianagaram Medical College in Vizianagaram on Friday, the Chief Minister virtually inaugurated four other medical colleges in Machilipatnam, Rajahmundry, Eluru and Nandyala. Speaking on the occasion he said that the opening of new government medical colleges will improve medical care and enhance the public health system. Addressing the medical students and faculty, he said that the students should become good doctors and serve the poor. People have high expectations from medical students. The government, committed to the welfare of the weaker sections, has spent a huge amount. He said Rs 235,000 crore has been spent so far on DBT welfare schemes and doctors should also help the poor with the same commitment.
Chief Minister Jaganmohan said with the commencement of academic sessions of five new government medical colleges, 750 new MBBS seats were added to the existing capacity across the state. The new colleges have been constructed at a cost of Rs 500 crore.
He said the government has proposed to build 17 new medical colleges at a cost of Rs 8,480 crore. He said that the government wants to ensure a medical college and an attached hospital in all the 26 districts. Medical healthcare will improve and the public health system will grow. He said that five more medical colleges were being built at Pulivendula, Paderu, Adoni, Markapur and Madanapalle and would start functioning next year. Similarly, seven more colleges will be ready next year.
The CM said that when all the new colleges and their associated hospitals resume functioning, the number of MBBS seats will increase from 2185 to 4735. With the opening of all the colleges, the number of seats in post graduation will increase to 2737. He said that at present the number of postgraduate seats is 1767 which has increased by 966 in the last four years. This year alone 609 new postgraduate seats have been added.
He said that with the establishment of new medical colleges and modernization of hospitals under Nadu-Nedu, the government has recruited 53126 posts in the medical and health department to meet the new demands. Facilities like laboratories, IFP, Smart TV, library, micro and digital equipment were provided for the current academic session in all the five newly-inaugurated medical colleges.