TN health department launches process to identify land for six new government medical colleges

The Tamil Nadu Health Department has started the process of identifying land to establish six new government medical colleges. The joint directors of health services have been directed to coordinate with the respective district collectors to identify 25 acres of land as well as collate details of existing manpower and equipment in the headquarters hospitals government in the respective districts.

Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said the state had submitted nearly 20 letters to the Union government, including the Union Health Ministry, seeking permission to set up six new medical colleges over the last two years. The minister had sought approval to establish colleges at Perambalur, Mayiladuthurai, Tenkasi, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Kancheepuram during a meeting with the Union Health Minister in New Delhi in 2022.

“We are waiting for approval to forward it to the National Medical Commission (NMC). We have already started to identify land for this purpose. The NMC had earlier introduced a regulation to capping MBBS seats based on population, following which the chief minister had written a letter to the Prime Minister. This condition was later postponed,” he said.

Official sources in the department pointed out that the state has not received any response from the Union Health Ministry, while some questions raised on certain conditions of the NMC remained unanswered or remained vague. Official sources suggested that before its postponement, the NMC's condition of 100 MBBS seats per 10 lakh population at the state level had hampered the process.

“We will seek NMC approval for the six colleges when the application window opens for the year,” an official said. He added that land has already been identified in some districts, while the process is underway for others.

In a circular issued earlier last week, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research said that following a discussion in a meeting with the Chief Secretary, it was decided to establish new medical colleges in a phased manner through the centrally sponsored scheme for “establishment of new medical colleges”. medical college attached to the existing district/referral hospital.” During the meeting, the norms of the NMC for establishment of new colleges, service delivery details of the six government headquarters hospitals proposed for conversion into medical colleges and the status of land availability were discussed.

The co-directors have been asked to provide the details required to prepare and submit a detailed project report to the government.

However, the circular is ambiguous in mentioning Arakkonam as one of the locations of the new college instead of the earlier proposed Kancheepuram. Arakkonam is part of Ranipet district.

Tamil Nadu currently has 36 government medical colleges and is looking for six more, as part of a plan to establish a government medical college in every district.