Guwahati: The Centre on Thursday requested that the 14 states and union territories expedite the use of central funds and the construction of new medical colleges connected to district or referral hospitals that have already been approved under the central government-sponsored scheme for the early start of undergraduate programmes.
Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan emphasised the projects’ sluggish pace during an assessment. The plan has authorised up to 157 new medical colleges in three phases since 2014.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, and Punjab were among the states and UTs that participated in the review meeting that was held via video conferencing.
The Union Health Secretary requested the states to complete these initiatives more quickly so that UG courses may start by the 2023–24 academic year.
A statement from the Ministry of health and family welfare read, “It was pointed out that since the scheme will conclude on 31st March 2024, hence all projects need to be completed in time. It was informed that a sum of Rs. 7,500 crores have been allotted for the schemes of Human Resources for Health (HRH) and Medical Education (ME) for the financial year 2022-23.”
“However, due to the slow pace of expenditure of the States/UTs and since there has been no requisition for release of funds from the states, further release of funds by the Centre to States cannot take place. States were further informed that utilization certificates have to be furnished urgently without delay to enable the Centre to release balance funds,” it added.
The Union health secretary emphasised the advantages of contemporary technology that allow for speedy completion and high levels of energy conservation during the discussion.
The statement further said, “States were advised to explore and use locally relevant and green technology options, and steel composite structures for the projects which are yet to start. It was also pointed out that some of the projects seem to be languishing as the construction companies lack requisite experience regarding the building of hospitals and provision of associated specialized services.”
The Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the Establishment of New Medical Colleges Attached with Existing District or Referral Hospitals was introduced by the Indian government in January 2014.
The North-eastern and Special Category States received a 90:10 allocation of the funds under the scheme from the Central Government, while the other States received a 60:40 ration.