Cabinet nod for more medical seats

CCEA also okays development of the first phase of second campus of the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata

In a major push towards improving health care in India, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved two new policies to raise the number of postgraduate seats at medical colleges and to set up a new cancer centre in Kolkata.

“The continuation of the scheme at a total cost of Rs 1,350 crore will result in an increase of about 4,000 seats, with proposed central assistance share of Rs 1,124 crore and state / UT (Union territory) share of Rs 226 crore. The funding pattern will be 75:25 by Central and state governments,” health ministry said in a release.

CCEA also approved the development of the first phase of the second campus of the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, at an estimated total cost of Rs 534 crore. Of this, the Centre's share will be Rs 400 crore. The 460-bed hospital will be set up at Rajarhat near the Kolkata airport and will be completed in 30 months.

The government has also decided to set up infrastructure facilities for burn management and rehabilitation across 67 state government medical colleges at an estimated cost of Rs 407.21 crore. Besides, 85 trauma centres will be set up in government hospitals on national and state highways at an estimated cost of Rs 534.64 crore on cost-sharing basis between the Centre and states in the ratio of 70:30.

The ratio will be 90:10 in the case of the north-east and hill states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir during the remaining period of the 12th Plan, the health ministry statement noted.