Lucknow: With 80 medical colleges, 44 govt and 36 private, operating in the state besides the growing network of govt and private hospitals in the last eight years has catapulted Uttar Pradesh to a healthcare hub.
“Before 2017, UP was touted as one of the BIMARU (Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, and UP) states of India for poor healthcare and infrastructure. However, Uttar Pradesh scripted a story of transformation in the health sector in the past eight years,” an official spokesperson said on Monday.
Director general, medical education, Kinjal Singh said that 80 medical colleges, including 44 govt and 36 private, operated in the state, adding that new medical colleges transformed the healthcare sector in the state.
“The number of medical colleges increased in the state, and with them, the number of MBBS and PG seats went up. New super-specialty hospitals and research institutes opened. The govt is also promoting AYUSH medicine for preventive healthcare,” she said.
“This achievement is proving to be a milestone in taking health and medical education of the state to new heights. Medical education was made more accessible by establishing medical colleges in Maharajganj, Shamli, and Sambhal under the PPP (Public Private Partnership) model,” Singh said.
Talking about the increase in seats, she said: “There was an unprecedented increase in MBBS and PG seats to strengthen medical education in the state. Currently, UP has 5,250 seats in govt medical colleges and 6,550 seats in private undergrad courses. Additionally, 350 seats came up in three new medical colleges established on the PPP model.”
“Similarly, the number of MD/MS/Diploma seats in govt went up from 900 to 1,871, whereas 2,100 PG seats are available in private sector. As many as 250 seats were also added in super-specialty courses,” she said.
Stating that the Yogi govt significantly advanced AYUSH medical education in the state, a govt spokesperson said that an Ayurvedic College was established in Ayodhya, while a govt homeopathic medical college was set up in Varanasi.
“The state boasts of 2,110 Ayurvedic, 254 Unani, and 1,585 Homeopathic hospitals as of date. Additionally, eight Ayurvedic colleges, two Unani colleges, nine Homeopathic colleges, and their affiliated hospitals are actively operating,” he said.
He added that to strengthen the AYUSH sector, the govt established Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath AYUSH University and decided to constitute an AYUSH Board to provide a robust framework for Ayurveda, Homeopathy, and Unani medicine.
“The Center for Advanced Molecular Diagnostics and Research for Cancer was established at the Kalyan Singh Super Specialty Cancer Institute in Lucknow to enhance healthcare services further,” he said.
“Construction is underway for a 500-bed Advanced Pediatric Center and a Diabetes Center at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI),” the spokesperson added. “To boost medical research and innovation, IIT-Kanpur is also establishing a School of Medical Research and Technology and a 500-bed super-specialty hospital, ushering in cutting-edge advancements in healthcare,” he said.
He said that construction work is underway in 25 out of the 27 approved nursing colleges in the state. Seats were also increased in the nursing (7,000) and paramedical (2,000) sections, while 35 ANM (Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery) training centres – which were closed long ago – were restarted.
“Under Mission Niramaya, many programmes were conducted to improve the quality of nursing and paramedical institutions, and the ‘Mentor-Mentee Model’ was implemented,” he said, adding that a “new and golden era in medical education has been ushered in UP under the Yogi Adityanath govt”.
