Gujarat to provide subsidy to new medical colleges

The Gujarat government plans to have a new medical policy soon to provide subsidy to new medical colleges, hospitals and nursing homes to purchase expensive medical equipment, a minister said on Friday.

"Just as the industry, business and farmers get subsidy, under the new policy, new medical colleges, hospitals, taluka-district level nursing homes, young doctors will be entitled to subsidy for purchase of latest medical equipment that cost as high as Rs.5-10 crore," said Health Minister Nitin Patel.

He said Gujarat had less than 1,000 medical seats and this forced bright students from the state to fork out huge money in donation to get admissions in various medical colleges across Maharashtra and Karnataka.

"Our daughters and sons had to go outside the state to get medical education. We studied the situation and decided to increase the number of seats in engineering and medical colleges.

"Last year we opened 150-seat medical education facility in Himmatnagar and another 150-bed facility in Junagadh. Today there are over 3,100 seats in medicine. Now another 150-seat medical education facility is coming up in Nadiad and I assure the state government will extend full cooperation in this project," he said.

He said the state government operated medical facilities across Gujarat serve more than 1.25 crore patients every year.