58 new medical colleges soon

New medical colleges will be set up in 58 districts, resulting in an increase of 5,800 MBBS seats in the country, Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. These medical colleges will be established under a centrally sponsored scheme for 'Establishment of Medical Colleges attached with existing District/Referral hospitals. Criteria for identification of districts under the scheme, he said, are district hospitals/referral hospital with bed strength of 200 or more, districts where there is no medical college and preference to under-served areas. In reply to a separate question in Rajya Sabha, Nadda said the Government Medical College at Jaipur will be upgraded. "Government Medical College, Jaipur has been identified for upgradation under phase-IV of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana," he said.