Ahmedabad: Since 1995, no new government medical colleges have been set up in Gujarat, the State Government admitted in the Assembly recently. Last year, permissions were obtained for four private medical colleges, added the Government.
However, the State Health Minister Rushikesh Patel informed the Assembly about the Government's plans to start a medical college in every district. He added that by 2027, the Government plans to increase the number of undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats to 12,200.
While answering the queries raised by MLA Amit Chavda in the Assembly recently, the Government informed in a written reply that altogether six government medical colleges are operating in the State. Among these, the first one was set up in Ahmedabad back in 1871 and the last one in 1995 in Bhavnagar. Therefore, no new government medical colleges have been established in the State since 1995.
The Government further stated in its reply that no government medical colleges were approved back in 2022 or 2023. However, last year, four private medical colleges obtained permission to operate.
Also Read: 3 New Private Medical Colleges to Come Up in Gujarat, 400 MBBS seats to be added
As per the latest media report by The New Indian Express, the State further informed that back in 2022, altogether five medical colleges run by the Gujarat Medical Education & Research Society (GMERS, a registered trust of the Gujarat Government) got the approval from the Government. According to the Government data, no new government or grant-aided college for Ayurveda and Homeopathy degrees has been sanctioned in the State in the last two years.
Responding to the queries raised by Congress MLA Amit Chavda, the Minister informed that there are six government medical colleges, 13 GMERS medical colleges, one AIIMS, and 20 private medical colleges in Gujarat, adds the Times of India.
Besides, State Health Minister Rushikesh Patel announced in the assembly on Thursday that the state government plans to start a medical college in every district and by 2027, the State aims to increase the number of UG and PG medical seats to 12,200.
"By 2027, the government aims to increase the number of medical seats at undergraduate and postgraduate levels to 12,200," said the Health Minister.
Raising the issues concerning medical education in Gujarat, Amit Chavda, the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly said, "The fees of government colleges must be low compared to private colleges to enable the poor and middle-class students to become doctors, but the Gujarat government has not established any new government medical college in the last 29 years because this government cares only for rich and industrialists."
The State also addressed another query raised by Congress MLA Ganiben Thakor and informed that in the last two years, 508 new nursing schools and colleges have been opened in the State. Among these, one one was set up by the State Government and the rest of the institutes were all self-financing institutes.
According to the Government data, in 2023-2024, altogether 315 such institutes were established and among these, only one was government-run MSC Nursing Government College.
Also Read: Rs 671 crore Collected from MBBS Doctors As Bond Penalty: Gujarat Health Minister