Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday virtually inaugurated nine new medical colleges at various locations in the state, as part of the government's stated aim of opening at least one such institution in every district of the state. The new medical colleges are located in the districts of Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Khammam, Kumram Bheem Asifabad, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Jangaon, Nirmal, Rajanna Sircilla and Vikarabad.
Speaking on the occasion, Rao said the state cabinet had approved putting in place 34 government medical colleges in Telangana, like in no other state in the country. The number of medical colleges in the state has now reached 26 and eight more colleges are set to be opened by the start of the next academic year.
The number of medical seats in 2014 (when Telangana was formed and BRS came to power) was only 2,850 and the number stands at 8,515 now, he said, adding that the state would produce 10,000 doctors per year with the inauguration of eight new colleges next year (both government and private colleges put together).
Observing that Telangana is achieving all-round progress, Rao, also known as KCR, said the Mahabubnagar district which was once known for its backwardness would now have five medical colleges. The WHO feels that viruses like coronavirus might emerge in the future and any country or state with a robust health system would be able to face such a situation effectively, he stressed.
Noting that the state is achieving many successes in the health sector, he said Telangana is the only state in the country with 22 MBBS seats per one lakh population. The number of hospital beds in the state in 2014 was only 17,000, while it has reached 34,000 now. That number would soon reach 50,000, and all 50,000 beds in hospitals would soon have oxygen facilities, Rao added.
Telangana is producing 500 tons of oxygen now to meet any critical situation. The chief minister said he has directed Health Minister T Harish Rao to establish nursing colleges and institutions to train paramedical personnel, alongside establishing medical colleges in every district. Telangana stood at 11th position in 2014 in the rankings given by the NITI Aayog in health-related indicators and now the rank is three, he pointed out.
Rao also spoke about the state government's welfare schemes in the health sector, including the 'KCR Kit' and the nutrition kit given to pregnant women. He also pointed out that there has been a decline in Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the state. Health Minister Harish Rao, a nephew of CM KCR, and senior officials were present on the occasion. (PTI)
