Amaravati: In a major boost to the medical education and healthcare system in Andhra Pradesh, the state cabinet has given its approval for 16 new medical colleges in the State. For this purpose, the cabinet has granted Rs 7,880 crore in its meeting on Friday.
Apart from this, a decision has also been taken for upgrading 11 already existing medical colleges with a cost of Rs 3, 820 crore.
The decision for constituting 16 new medical colleges in the State had been announced last year. Although at first the announcement had been made for 11 new medical colleges, later the state decided to add 5 more to the list with an aim to ramp up the healthcare facilities in Andhra Pradesh.
had earlier reported that the 16 new medical colleges would come up at Paderu, Vizianagaram, Anakapalli, Rajahmundry, Palakollu, Amalapuram, Eluru, Machilipatnam, Bapatla, Markapuram, Piduguralla, Madanapalli, Pulivendula, Penukonda, Adoni and Nandyal. It was estimated that the entire project would cost around Rs 7880 crore. In fact, the Chief Minister of the State YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had laid the foundation stone for the 14 new medical colleges on the virtual medium.
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As per the latest media report by Telangana Today, during its meeting on Friday, the Andhra Pradesh state cabinet approved a budget of Rs 7, 880 for constructing 16 new medical colleges in the State. Further, Rs 3, 820 had also been sanctioned for the development purpose of 11 existing medical colleges.
The cabinet also took decisions including providing jobs on compassionate grounds to families of employees who died of COVID-19.
This comes soon after the MoS Health Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar had informed the Parliament of setting up three new medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh and upgrading three existing medical institutes.
had reported back in December 2021 that referring to the Centrally Scheme for 'Establishment of new Medical Colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals', MoS Health had pointed out that three new medical colleges would be coming up at Piduguralla, Paderu, and Machilipatnam.
Also Read: Major Boost to Andhra Pradesh, 3 new medical colleges to be built, 3 to be upgraded
She had also mentioned that another three medical colleges had been approved for up-gradation under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
Last year, MoS Health Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar had informed the Parliament that Andhra Pradesh had a total number of 31 medical colleges with an intake capacity for 5210 MBBS seats. Among these 31 medical colleges 13 are Government-run medical colleges and 18 are run by Private management.
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