Telangana revolutionising India’s medical sector: CM KCR

On Friday, the Chief Minister virtually inaugurated nine new government medical colleges simultaneously, in the districts of Karimnagar, Kamareddy, Khammam, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Kumram Bheem Asifabad, Nirmal, Rajanna-Sircilla, Vikarabad and Jangaon.

Hyderabad: Strengthening Telangana’s position in the public healthcare sector further, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said the State was on track to produce a staggering 10,000 doctors annually catering to the needs of not only Telangana, but also the entire nation. Telangana was creating a revolution in the history of India’s medical sector as part of its efforts to bring quality healthcare accessible to the poor, he said.

On Friday, the Chief Minister virtually inaugurated nine new government medical colleges simultaneously, in the districts of Karimnagar, Kamareddy, Khammam, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Kumram Bheem Asifabad, Nirmal, Rajanna-Sircilla, Vikarabad and Jangaon. Ministers, legislators, district collectors and other officials along with the principals, staff and medical students of all nine government colleges participated in the inaugural ceremony.

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Addressing the participants on the occasion, Chandrashekhar Rao highlighted the transformational journey of Telangana’s healthcare sector from having just five government medical colleges in 2014 to reaching a total of 26 this year. This expansion has notably increased the number of medical seats from 2,850 in 2014 to 8,515 in 2023. Impressively, 85 percent of these seats are reserved for local students, enhancing accessibility to medical education for Telangana’s youth. He congratulated Health Minister T Harish Rao and health officials for securing a favorable verdict in the High Court in this regard.

Recognising the critical role of robust healthcare systems, the Chief Minister emphasised the importance of strengthening the medical and health infrastructure. He said the newly inaugurated government medical colleges would not only provide medical education but also serve as the backbone of the State’s healthcare system, ensuring quality medical services in all district headquarters. To complement the growth in medical colleges, Telangana is setting up nursing colleges and paramedical courses affiliated with government medical colleges across all district headquarters.

Chandrashekhar Rao also commended Harish Rao’s leadership, which had propelled Telangana to become the only State in India with 22 medical seats for every one lakh population. He highlighted the expansion of government hospital beds from 17,000 in 2014 to 34,000 presently. With the construction of six major hospitals including four Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) hospitals in Hyderabad, one in Warangal, and enhancing NIMS capacity from 2,000 to 4,000 beds, he said the State would have over 50,000 beds in government hospitals alone.

Learning lessons from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief Minister said the State government had been strengthening medical infrastructure, with Telangana now producing 500 tonnes of oxygen to meet hospital demands. The State is also equipping all government beds with oxygen and preparing to provide around 10,000 super specialty beds.

Chandrashekhar Rao said initiatives like KCR Kits, nutrition kits, Amma Vodi vehicles, and others had led to a significant increase in institutional deliveries, from 30 percent in government hospitals in 2014 to 76 percent in 2023. These efforts had also contributed to a notable reduction in maternal mortality rates (MMR) from 92 in 2014 to 43 in 2023 and infant mortality rates (IMR) from 39 in 2014 to 21 in 2023.

He said Telangana made a remarkable progress in healthcare in public sector, reflected in the NITI Aayog Health Index, which saw the State climb from 11th rank in 2014 to third position this year.

వైద్య‌విద్య‌లో న‌వ‌శ‌కం.. ఒకేరోజు 9 మెడికల్ కాలేజీలు ప్రారంభించిన‌ సీఎం శ్రీ కేసీఆర్.#ArogyaTelangana pic.twitter.com/dVNbC4ES9N

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