The Andhra Pradesh Government has decided to permit 17 medical and 21 dental colleges in the private sector in the next two to three years. About 8-10 new medical colleges and as many dental colleges would start functioning from the 20023-04 academic year. The government had also decided to start MSc courses in Anatomy, Physiology Pharmacology and Biochemistry in the medical colleges, besides increasing the retirement age of the faculty from 65 to 68 years in view of the acute shortage of trained teachers. This was announced by Medical and Health Minister Dr Kodela Sivaprasad Rao.

The minister said essentiality certificates had been given to 17 medical and 21 dental colleges after they fulfilled the preliminary requirements. They would have to develop infrastructure and approach the Medical Council of India (MCI) for inspection and approval.

At present there are 20 medical colleges, half of them private, and 10 dental colleges with an intake of 2,500 and 760 students respectively. The new medical and dental colleges would have an intake of 100 students each. Once the new medical colleges come up, the number of MBBS seats in the state would be around 4,200.

Speaking to newsmen after a meeting with representatives of the managements of private medical, dental and nursing colleges, the Minister said a committee headed by justice Bhaskara Rao would scrutinize the applications and finalise the fee structure in consultation with the government.

The Minister announced a number of measures in tune with the government's liberal policy towards private colleges. He said the seats in PG medical and dental courses would be raised from 696 to 1189 (besides 29 in NIMS) and Super-Speciality seats from 22 to 41. Dr Rao said due care would be taken to maintain high standards in all colleges. The government would approach MCI with a request to raise the retirement age of the teaching faculty from 65 to 68 to overcome the shortage of professors and assistant professors in the medical colleges.

The state government would permit medical colleges to start MSc courses in pre-clinical and para-clinical subjects like Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology and Biochemistry. Private colleges would be allowed to conduct post-mortems and forensic tests and to acquire cadavers from civic bodies for their anatomy labs.

Speaking after inaugurating the Hospital Day celebrations at Osmania General Hospital, the minister expressed satisfaction over the functioning of the hospital. He, however, said the doctors should be more careful because even a minor lapse on their part would bring discredit to the hospital. The government was spending about Rs 1,850 crore towards the hospitals for purchase of medicines and various other items annually, Dr Rao said. The minister inaugurated the computer system in the out-patient department of the hospital.