The state government of Telangana (TS) is setting ground to establish its own health university and wants to bring all the medical education related issues like MBBS, Medical PG, paramedical admission counselling, and medical college related approvals and affiliations under the fold of Telangana Health University.
At present, the Telangana government is totally depending on NTR Health University, situated in Andhra region at Vijayawada for MBBS and other paramedical admissions. Though the health education and other educational related issues can continue to function combined as mentioned in the 10th scheduled of AP Reorganisation Act 2014, the Telangana government wants to initiate its own reforms in the medical education and healthcare sector and as it is not possible to implement programmes and projects under combined operation, the heath ministry and the chief minister’s office of Telangana is fast taking steps to establish its own health university and limit its dependence on NTR Health University for MBBS admissions and other issues at least by next year.
According to sources in the health ministry of Telangana, the file pertaining to establishing a new health university is tabled in the health ministry office for clearance. Once this is cleared it is expected to get final approval from the chief minister’s office in the next two to three days.
Sources also revealed that once the file is cleared by the CM’s office, the state government of Telangana is also planning to get the nod of state legislator in the form of an ordinance and wants to clear all hurdles to establish the Telangana Health University at the earliest.
At present there is no health university for Telangana. Earlier in the entire united Andhra Pradesh, NTR Health University was the only body that catered the services of all the medical colleges in the entire state. Though leading medical colleges like Osmania Medical College, Gandhi Medical Colleges and Kakatiya Medical Colleges and other private medical colleges are there in Telangana, almost all are affiliated to NTR Health University situated at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.
After the formation of Telangana state, till date the admission process and MBBS counseling is conducted by NTR Health University as was done in combined state. All Medical education related issues are totally supervised by the NTR Health University. Because of this, the Telangana government is of the opinion that its intervention in the admission process and management of medical colleges is limited and the government’s prominence in directing NTR Health University is negligible.
Moreover, as there is no separate body to look after the various medical education administrative related issues and MBBS admission procedure in the Telangana Medical Colleges, the Telangana government feels setting up of a separate health university is the only solution to cater to services of the Telangana Medical Colleges. At present the health secretly is taking care of all the medical education related issues in the state.
“By next year, the state government of Telangana is planning to establish a world class health university with international standard amenities and facilities in the state. With this the TS government will have more hold on the admission process, to supervise the working of medical colleges, improve the quality of medical education and even the MBBS degree will be given under the name of Telangana Health University. But the entrance admission procedure will be conducted combined by both Universities of AP and Telangana,” informed a senior official in the health ministry.