India to get new medical colleges

CHANDIGARH - Giving a boost to medical education in the country, the health ministry will open new colleges and create more seats in government-run institutes.

“An ambitious scheme costing Rs.1,350 crore will be implemented soon to strengthen the fabric of medical education. An additional 4,000 seats in medical colleges run by the central government have been created to produce more doctors every year,” said Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad here Friday.

“Besides, 269 new nursing colleges will be opened to consolidate the para-medical infrastructure. The government is doing all-out efforts to eradicate communicable diseases in the country,” he added.

Azad was here to attend the 31st convocation of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).

Expressing concern over the World Health Organisation (WHO) report that said India would become a real hub of cancer by 2020, Azad said: “We have launched a cancer-combat pilot project in hundred districts. Under this, each district will be given funds for early detection of cancer. And Rs.100,000 will be given per patient for chemotherapy treatment.”