700 MBBS seats to be added in medical colleges

Kolkata: Around 700 additional MBBS seats will be created by setting up seven more medical colleges in the state.

While proposing the budget of the department in the state Assembly on Monday, Chandrima Bhattacharya, minister of state for the state Health and Family Welfare department, said: "The state government has taken steps to set up seven more medical colleges. The construction work of five colleges is going on in full swing while the work of two others will begin soon."

She further said setting up of the medical colleges will ensure creation of 700 more MBBS seats at government hospitals.

The five medical colleges those are under-construction are coming up in Cooch Behar, Raiganj, Rampurhat, Purulia and Diamond Harbour. The work of two others to start soon will be set up in Jalpaiguri and Arambagh.

She also said since 2011 the numbers of state-run medical colleges have increased to 14.

She mentioned that out of the 42 proposed super-speciality hospitals, 39 are already functioning and setting up of the same was of immense help to the people in the rural parts of the state.

"Moreover, as many as 17,925 doctors have been recruited in the past six years," she said.

Bhattacharya criticised the move of Congress MLAs as they had walked out of the Assembly when she was about to speak after discussions by other

MLAs on the budget.

Speaker Biman Banerjee too criticised the move stating it to be discourtesy shown when the minister of state was giving reply to the issues raised during the discussions on the health budget.

Bhattacharya further informed the House that the planned budget for health sector has been increased to Rs 8,773.52 crore in 2018-19 financial year which was Rs 7,603.82

crore in 2017-18 fiscal.

She maintained that the budget for drugs and medical equipment was Rs 179 crore in 2010-11.

Major emphasis was given to the sector in the past six years and budget for it was increased to Rs 857.83 crore in 2017-18.

Bhattacharya also criticised the use of Prime Minister's name in Central government funded project.