157 new medical colleges approved by Centre since 2014

New Delhi: Centre has given a nod to 157 new medical colleges in the country since 2014 and has invested over 17 thousand 691 crore rupees on these projects. Health Ministry said, on completion of these medical colleges, nearly 16 thousand undergraduate medical seats will be added. Of these, six thousand 500 seats have already been created with the functioning of 64 new Medical Colleges.

The Ministry said, under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes, the Central Government has also provided about over two thousand 451 crore rupees for upgradation of existing state government or central government medical colleges to increase MBBS seats in the country.

The Ministry said, under the Scheme, medical



colleges are established in Districts which do not have either a government or private medical college. It said, preference is given to underserved, backward and aspirational districts.

Under three phases of the scheme, 157 new medical colleges have been approved, out of which 64 medical colleges are already functional. Health Ministry said, out of 157 new medical colleges, 39 are being set up in Aspirational Districts.

This Central Sector Scheme was envisaged to bridge the shortfall in manpower in the Medical Sector as also to bridge the geographical imbalance in availability of trained medical manpower across the country.