Tamil Nadu government’s 20th medical college, also the first in the city in the last 55 years, was inaugurated here on Monday by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
Ms. Jayalalithaa inaugurated the medical college, set up at a cost of Rs 200 crore in the Omandurar Government Estate, through video conferencing from the state secretariat.
This was the 20th medical college in the state and the first to be established in the state capital since 1960, an official release said.
The city has three other government medical colleges — Madras Medical College, Stanley Medical College and Kilpauk Medical College.
As many as 410 appointments, including medical and para-medical staff, besides teaching professionals had been made here, it said. The Medical Council of India (MCI) had approved admission of 100 students in MBBS course.
The number of MBBS seats in the state had increased by 710 in the last four years and stands at 2,655 presently, it said.
The government had allocated Rs 12.24 crore towards procuring required medical equipment for the college, it said.
The release recalled that Ms. Jayalalithaa had last year inaugurated a multi-super speciality hospital here.
The Chief Minister had in 2011 announced setting up of the hospital and medical college at the site, where the previous DMK government had set up a Secretariat-Assembly complex.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated new hospital buildings, laid foundation stones for new ventures and dedicated new equipment in various hospitals, all worth an estimated Rs 476.38 crore, the release added.