Lokmat News Network
By Mehboob Inamdar
Chhatrapati Sambhajiangar: The rise in medical colleges and seats in Marathwada, is helping for the access of qualitative health services in rural areas.
Earlier, there were four colleges in the eight districts of the region until 2021. The State Government announced to opening of one Government medical college in each district to provide better health facilities to the people of the State in 2021. Among them, four colleges were planned in four districts of Marathwada.
Government Medical College was opened in Dharshiv and Parbhani districts in 2022 and 2023 respectively. With this, the number of seats rose to 850 seats last year. Two more colleges with each of them 100 seats, are proposed in two districts of the region. Their names are Jalna and Hingoli. If the colleges get approval this year, around 200 seats will be increased.
Commenting on this Dr Ujwala Dahiphale, city president of the Indian Medical Association said that thousands of patients from Marathwada especially from rural areas visit the Government and private hospitals for this reason.
“The reason is that some districts do not have Government Medical College. With the opening of new colleges in the region, the number of seats has increased. This means that the strength of doctors increased and rural patients are getting treatment in the respective district,” she said.
She said that there would be further improvement in health services in rural areas if are remaining two colleges are given permission.
Dr Dahiphale said that the ratio of doctors and patients is good in the State and district, with one doctor for 884 patients.
the city has become a medical hub after Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune. “When we talk about medical tourism, patients from the Middle East are coming here for the treatment, due to the availability of specialists, infrastructure and low cost of treatment compared to their countries,” she added.
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Rural places need infrastructure
Dean of Government Medical College and Hospital Dr Shivaji Sukre said that as far as the city is concerned, it has Government Hospitals as well private hospitals. “There is a rise in the number of MBBS doctors in rural areas with the rise in medical colleges of Marathwada region.
The Government has filled many posts of doctors in rural areas. However, there is a need for monitoring of healthcare in rural so that on-time detection and treatment can be done,” he said.
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Number of Govt Medical Colleges & seats
--There are medical colleges located at six places in Marathwada
--Number of seats (850) in these colleges colleges
--Two new colleges approved, one in Jalna and Hingoli
--Intake of each college 100 seats. This means an increase of 200 seats
--National Medical Commission’s inspection is awaited for the two colleges
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District-wise seats in M’wad
The district-wise number of seats available in the Government Medical College of Marathwada is as follows;
Name of districts------------------seats available
--Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar------200 seats
-- Nanded------------------------150 seats.
-- Beed-------------150 seats
-- Latur---------------------------150 seats
---Dharashiv---------------------100 seats
--Parbhnai------------------------100 seats
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10 medicals to be opened in the State
A total of 10 Government colleges and two deemed universities have applied to start the MBBS programme. If they get permission this year, MBBS seats will rise by 1000 to 1200.