In the nine years since its formation, Telangana has witnessed a remarkable transformation in its medical education landscape. In 2014, the State had only five medical colleges. However, recognising the need to extend medical education to remote areas, it embarked on an ambitious plan — to establish one medical college in each of the 33 districts.
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Along with renowned institutions such as Osmania Medical College and Gandhi Medical College in Hyderabad, Kakatiya Medical College in Warangal, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Adilabad, and Government Medical College in Nizamabad, 21 more medical colleges have been established in the State, taking the total to 26.
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This expansion has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of MBBS seats available in the State. From 2,950 seats (850 government and 2,100 private) in the year 2014, the number has surged to 7,390 (3,590 government and 3,800 private) at present. This significant rise of 150% in MBBS seats signifies Telangana’s unwavering commitment to providing quality medical education to its aspiring doctors.
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There has also been substantial growth in postgraduate medical education opportunities. In 2014, there were 1,183 postgraduate seats (515 government and 668 private), which has now increased to 2,591 seats (1,270 government and 1,321 private) in 2023. This 120% increase in postgraduate seats reinforces Telangana’s dedication to nurturing specialised healthcare professionals.
Several new medical colleges have played a pivotal role in driving this transformation. Government Medical Colleges in Siddipet, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, and Suryapet are among the notable additions to the medical education landscape. Moreover, in 2021, the government sanctioned eight more medical colleges in Sangareddy, Mahabubabad, Mancherial, Jagtial, Wanaparthy, Kothagudem, Nagarkurnool, and Ramagundam districts. These institutions, along with their upgraded attached hospitals, have already completed admissions for the academic year 2022-23.
Continuing efforts to meet the growing demand for medical education, the government sanctioned an additional nine medical colleges in 2022. The districts of Nirmal, Asifabad, Bhupalpally, Jangaon, Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Khammam, Sircilla, and Vikarabad now house the new institutions. With the establishment of these colleges, the total number of medical colleges in Telangana has now reached 26.
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The State is at the forefront with 22 MBBS seats per lakh population, the highest in the country. It occupies the second position in terms of postgraduate seats, providing 7.5 seats per lakh population. These achievements signify Telangana’s success in addressing the healthcare education disparity and nurturing a skilled healthcare workforce to cater to the needs of its growing population.
Realising the need to fill vacancies in the field, the government in 2022 gave permission to the Health, Medical and Family Welfare department to fill 12,522 direct recruitment vacancies on a regular basis. The government in May 2023 appointed 1,061 assistant professors to various medical colleges. Prior to that, 969 civil assistant surgeons were recruited. The government has also regularised 1,331 contract employees working in the department.
Speaking at an event last month, Health Minister T.Harish Rao highlighted that since the formation of the State, a total of 22,263 vacancies have been filled in the Health department alone. In the coming months, an additional 9,222 posts will be filled by the department, taking the total to 31,484, he added.