The Centre has decided to set up 157 new medical colleges in the country to strengthen the health infrastructure but in some states, these projects are hit by issues like the availability of land, Union minister Bharati Pawar said.
She said the priority will be given to backward districts to improve the health infrastructure.
"The Central government has given a priority to backward districts and we are working there. We are establishing 157 new medical colleges. The government will increase the number of AIIMS to 22 from six. These are time-bound projects. But in many states, these projects are facing issues. In some states, these projects are pending because of the unavailability of land. Work stops for a period of one-two year. But this is not the case in Maharashtra," the minister told PTI on Friday night in Aurangabad.
She said the Union government was sanctioning facilities with funds but some issues persist.
"The Central government has issued a fund of around Rs 23,000 crore under the second phase of the COVID emergency relief plan and Maharashtra has also got a good share of it to tackle the probable third wave," she said.
The minister added that the preference was given to enhance the capacity to produce medical oxygen as the need for this life-saving gas shot up in the second wave of the pandemic.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU