Centre sanctions 3 new medical colleges for AP

Nellore: Union health minister Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar said in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that Andhra Pradesh sent seven proposals for setting up of medical colleges at Piduguralla, Paderu, Machilipatnam, Eluru, Markapuram, Pulivendula and Vizianagaram, out of which three were approved at Piduguralla, Paderu and Machilipatnam.

Member V Prabhakar Reddy raised a question in the House on the status of proposals for setting up of medical colleges in the country as well as in Andhra Pradesh. Dr Bharati Pawar while replying to Reddy said that ministry of health and family welfare administers a centrally-sponsored scheme for establishment of new medical colleges attached to existing district/referral hospitals with preference to underserved areas and aspirational districts, where there is no existing government or private medical college. Under the scheme, the minister said a total of 157 new medical colleges have been approved in three phases and 71 are already functional. As per scheme's guidelines, the state government is the implementing agency and the planning, execution and commissioning of the project is done by the state governments concerned, he explained.

Phase-III of the Centrally-sponsored scheme was approved to establish 75 medical colleges. He said 7 proposals for setting up of medical colleges at Piduguralla, Paderu, Machilipatnam, Eluru, Markapuram (Prakasam district), Pulivendula (YSR Kadapa district) and Vizianagaram were received from Andhra Pradesh. Of them, three were approved at Piduguralla, Paderu and Machilipatnam. Further, all 75 medical colleges have already been sanctioned.