UP plans to establish new medical colleges through PPP model in 16 districts
Uttar Pradesh: To boost medical education and healthcare sector, Uttar Pradesh has proposed an allocation of Rs 14,997 crore in the new budget. Under this, the state plans to build new medical colleges in 16 districts through a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
An allocation of ₹1,023 crore has been made for the construction and commissioning of 14 new medical colleges, with the aim of expanding medical education and specialist training beyond major urban centres.
The Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare has been allocated ₹37,956 crore, a 15% increase from the previous fiscal year. This expenditure includes workforce enhancement, financial security, disease prevention, and infrastructure development.
According to HT Media news report, the main allocations include ₹130 crore for free treatment of critical illnesses, ₹500 crore to cover 49.22 lakh beneficiary families under Ayushman Bharat-Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojana, ₹8,641 crore for National Rural Health Mission and ₹2,000 crore for Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission.
Along with this, the state has also allocated ₹2,867 crore for AYUSH services, which will run 2,111 Ayurvedic, 254 Unani and 1,585 Homeopathic hospitals, as well as several medical colleges in every stream.
Uttar Pradesh currently has 81 medical colleges across 60 districts, of which 45 are government-run and 36 are private. To address regional shortages, the state has proposed establishing new institutions in the remaining 16 districts using a PPP framework.
This move represents a structural shift from traditional approaches that focused primarily on schemes, insurance coverage, and hospital construction. The government is now devoting significant resources to expanding the medical workforce.
Meanwhile, the increase has been substantial. MBBS seats increased from 4,540 to 12,800 in 2017. Postgraduate seats also increased from 1,221 to 4,995 during the same period.
