New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday met Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to review the progress of the health sector in the state, with discussions focusing on medical education, healthcare infrastructure, specialised services and key public health initiatives.
Nadda appreciated the MP government’s efforts to expand healthcare access and particularly lauded its use of the public-private partnership (PPP) model for developing medical colleges and healthcare infrastructure, according to an official statement.
MP has increased its MBBS seats from 5,600 to 6,120 in 2026, adding 520 seats in a year, a health ministry statement said.
The state has also expanded super-speciality education, with seats in government
medical colleges rising from 63 to 73 and those in private medical colleges increasing from 29 to 53, Nadda said, adding that expansion of medical education and specialist capacity would help strengthen the healthcare workforce and improve availability of advanced medical services in the state.
Under the PPP model, medical colleges are being established in Dhar, Panna, Katni and Betul, with the institutions targeted for establishment by December 2027, the statement said.
The meeting also reviewed the state’s maternal and child health indicators.
According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) 2022-24, MP’s maternal mortality ratio declined by seven points to 135 per lakh live births.
The proportion of pregnant women receiving four or more antenatal care visits increased from 57.5 per cent to 69.5 per cent, according to NFHS-6.
The neonatal mortality rate declined from 27 to 26 and the infant mortality rate from 37 to 35 per 1,000 live births.
The state has also expanded specialised healthcare services, with 70 haemodialysis units operational across 52 districts and 52 cancer day-care centres providing treatment.
Advanced cancer treatment, including CAR-T cell therapy, has also been introduced at Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College in Indore.
The expansion of medical education infrastructure is further supported by new government medical colleges. Construction of medical college buildings at Chhatarpur, Damoh and Budhni has been completed, while the Ujjain Medical College is expected to be completed in 2027, the statement said.
Medical colleges have also been proposed at Rajgarh and Mandla under the Centre’s Phase-III scheme.
The meeting reaffirmed the importance of Centre-state cooperation in strengthening health infrastructure, expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare and implementing national health programmes. PTI PLB KSS KSS
/images/ppid_59c68470-image-178988752292397331.webp)
