Maharashtra: Asian Development Bank commits Rs 4k cr for medical colleges in state

Mumbai: The Shinde-Fadnavis government on Saturday decided to establish new medical colle ges in 12 districts with funding of nearly Rs 4,000 crore from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The newly appointed medical education minister, Girish Mahajan, told the Free Press Journal that the decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Mahajan said there are 23 gover nment medical colleges, of which six are in the Vidarbha Region, four in Marathwada, and 13 in the ‘rest of Maharashtra’.

Moreover, four are under construction. He added that the colleges will be set up in a phased manner and the loan will also be used to further strengthen the existing medical colleg es and hospitals across the state.

In addition, the Inter national Finance Corporation has also extended a loan, he informed.

“Not a single medical college has been allowed in the last two-and-a-half years. Citizens will benefit from government medical colleges rather than private ones,” said Mahajan.

At the meeting, Fadnavis made a strong case for laying focus on good and affordable medical facilities to everyone in the state. He directed that the medical education department should prepare a plan to set up a medical college and hospital in every district in the next two years.

A senior department officer said that the department has prepared a plan till 2030. In the first phase, a public private partnership strategy will be introduced for setting up of medical colleges.