Bihar inches closer to one medical college in each district

Patna: In a major boost to healthcare and medical education, the Nitish Kumar government recently approved the setting up of seven new government medical colleges and hospitals across Bihar, moving a step closer to its commitment of having one medical college in every district.

The state Cabinet recently cleared the proposal for medical colleges in Kishanganj, Katihar, Rohtas, Sheohar, Lakhisarai, Arwal and Sheikhpura. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has consistently highlighted this plan in his public speeches, reiterating it during his Independence Day address this year. Once operational, these institutions will ensure that every district in the state has a medical college and hospital.

Currently, Bihar has 12 state-run medical colleges and hospitals, which increases to 15 when three centrally-run institutions — AIIMS Patna, ESIC Medical College Bihta, and IGIMS Patna — are included. The existing operational colleges include PMCH, NMCH, DMCH Darbhanga, ANMMCH Gaya, JLNMCH Bhagalpur, SKMCH Muzaffarpur, GMC Bettiah, Jannayak Karpoori Thakur Medical College Madhepura, GMC Purnea, BMIMS Nalanda, RJMCH Samastipur and GMC Chapra.

Alongside, 20 new medical colleges are under construction in districts such as Jamui, Buxar, Siwan, Ara, Vaishali, Begusarai, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Supaul and Munger. A second AIIMS is also coming up in Darbhanga, for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone in November 2024.

From just six colleges in 2005, when Nitish Kumar first took charge, the number is set to rise to 42 medical colleges once the seven newly approved and 20 under-construction institutions are functional. This includes nine private medical colleges already operational

in the state.