The Karnataka government will establish a Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences in Bangalore at an estimated cost of Rs 75 crore. The fund for the project will be utilised from the grant of the central government. The government has already identified land for the project near National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS).

The central government officials have already inspected the land offered by the state government behind NIMHANS. The central nod for the project is expected in a month's time. The Institute will offer degree courses in various disciplines connected with health services, informed MK Shankaralinge Gowda, secretary, department of medical education, Government of Karnataka.

The objective of the Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences is to produce best professionals and graduates in the field of paramedical sciences. There is always need for qualified and skilled professionals in paramedics in the wake of the growing number of hospitals, stated state medical education minister Ramachandra Gowda.

Supporting the need for a dedicated Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences, corporate hospitals like Manipal, Sagar, Apollo and Wockhardt appreciated the move. According to government hospitals Victoria, Lady Curzon & Bowring, Vani Vilas and NIMHANS, there is a serious crisis in the area of paramedics which is a crucial arm in healthcare.

In order to strengthen the availability of qualified personnel in the healthcare sector, the Karnataka government has also approved 130 nursing colleges in the state to start MSc courses expanding the number of such seats by 1,670.

It has also allowed 13 medical colleges to start post-graduate courses adding in all 96 seats. Similarly, 12 dental colleges have been given the nod to start post-graduate courses increasing the available seats by 129. The government would start a dental college with 40 seats in Bellary, for which it has received green signal from the Centre, stated the minister for medical education. Eight pharmacy colleges have now secured government permission to start post-graduate courses hiking the seat capacity by 54.

The minister for medical education expressed hope that shortage of MBBS doctors seen in big government hospitals would be a thing of the past in the next three years because of the increase in the number of seats.