Health Ministry approval to 8 new medical colleges in Maharashtra, 800 MBBS seats to be added

Mumbai: In a major boost to medical education in Maharashtra, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has granted permission to set up 8 new government medical colleges in the state with 100 MBBS seats each for the academic year 2024-25.

These eight new government medical colleges will be established in Ambernath, Gadchiroli, Amravati, Washim, Jalna, Buldhana, Hingoli, and Bhandara districts. 

With the increase in 8 new medical colleges, the state will gain a total of 800 MBBS seats. Although the state government and the central government have given their approval, these medical colleges are still awaiting approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC). 

Previously the National Medical Commission (NMC) gave its approval for two more new medical colleges in the State for 50 MBBS seats each in Mumbai and Nashik.

Also read- Maharashtra Govt Approves 2 New Medical Colleges with 100 MBBS Seats Each

Issuing eight separate orders in this regard, the central government directed the NMC to issue a Letter of Permission (LoPs) to GMCs in these eight districts for the formation of the medical colleges, reports Indian Express

This comes after the central government issued new approvals following the second appeal submitted by the state's Medical Education department in September. The orders, dated September 30, state that after reviewing the appellant’s documents and submissions, the Central Government has directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to issue Letters of Permission (LoPs).

The Maharashtra government earlier this year applied to establish 10 new Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) across various districts, each with a capacity of 100 seats. However, in August, only two of these applications were approved, accounting for a total of 100 seats, while the remaining eight applications were denied. The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) had identified several deficiencies in these colleges during inspections, citing failure to meet the minimum standards required by the NMC.

In response, the state’s Medical Education department filed an appeal against this decision. The latest orders from the Government of India indicate that the colleges have since provided additional documents and justifications, showing compliance with the necessary standards outlined by the NMC.

“The committee further opines that if the NMC carries out inspections of the college at any stage and finds that the college is deficient in availability of faculty infrastructure etc. the permission for starting the college may be withdrawn by NMC,” adds the order.

With the state government aiming to establish a medical college in every district, there are now a total of 35 government medical colleges in Maharashtra. A total of 4,850 students will get admission from this government medical college every year.

The move comes in line with the state government’s policy of establishing at least one medical college in every district. This will help so many aspirants pursue medical education within the state when a number of aspirants are leaving for abroad due to the lack of MBBS seats in Maharashtra. 

Each new college will receive Rs 403 crore in funding to support infrastructure development.