Hyderabad: Health minister T Harish Rao said the government will set up a medical college, a nursing college, and a paramedical college in every district of the state, asserting that Telangana was given short shrift by previous governments when the state was united and the Centre in developing medical infrastructure.
Replying to a question on government medical colleges in the assembly on Friday, the minister said “Last year, the Centre allotted 157 government medical colleges across the country, but not one college was sanctioned to Telangana.When AP was united, only three medical colleges were set up in the state under Congress rule.”
The minister said eight government medical colleges have been set up in the state within a year.
“No one could have predicted that five medical colleges would be built in a backward district like Mahbubnagar or that government will sanction a medical college in Mulugu constituency, which is represented by an opposition MLA,” he said. Seethakka of Congress represents Mulugu in the assembly.
Harish Rao said the number of medical seats has increased from 850 to 2,790 within eight years of the state’s formation. The minister also claimed that the Centre had completely ignored AIIMS-Bibinagar. “There is no blood blank there. As there are no facilities for students to do practicals, we are assisting medicos to take practicals in Bhuvanagiri government hospital,” he said.