The Uttar Pradesh government is moving closer to its goal of One District, One Medical College scheme as the government is busy upgrading divisional and district hospitals to medical colleges in 27 districts of the state in three phases, of which 13 medical colleges, including five in phase one and eight in phase two, are already running.

Five district and divisional hospitals of Phase-1 and eight of Phase-2 that have been upgraded to medical colleges were approved by the Medical Education department four and two years back, whereas more than 60 per cent of work on 14 hospitals has been completed in the third phase.

The department will apply this year for the recognition of the hospitals to be upgraded to medical colleges in the third phase.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s One District One Medical College programme aims to provide better and affordable health services in the state. The upgrading of the district and divisional hospitals of the state to medical colleges by the Medical Education department is part of the government's strategy to achieve the goal.

The upgradation work in Rajarshi Dasharatha Medical College, Ayodhya and Maharshi Vashishtha Autonomous State Medical College in Basti has been completed in Phase-1. Besides, except for the multi-purpose hall, the rest of the works have been completed at the government medical college campus in Shahjahanpur.

Similarly, upgrading of Maharaja Suheldev Autonomous State Medical College campus and Maharishi Balark Hospital, Bahraich, has been completed while 35 per cent of construction of the hospital building has also been completed.

On the other hand, the construction of Firozabad medical college has been completed along with 20 per cent work of the hospital complex. The structural work of the hospital building of Firozabad medical college has been completed and finishing touches are being given to it whereas partial works remain to be done at the college campus.

Maa Vindhyavasini Autonomous State Medical College in Mirzapur, Maharshi Vishwamitra Autonomous State Medical College in Ghazipur, Autonomous State Medical College in Hardoi, Madhav Prasad Tripathi Medical College in Siddharthnagar, Maharishi Devraha Baba Government Medical College in Deoria; as well as Veerangana Avantibai Medical College are being built by the Medical Education department in Phase-2. Moreover, the upgradation works of Lodhi Autonomous State Medical College in Etah, and government medical college in Pratapgarh have been completed and the buildings have been handed over to the department.

On the other hand, 90 per cent work of Amar Shaheed Jodha Singh Ataiya Thakur Daryanv Singh Medical College in Fatehpur has been completed whereas the remaining 10 per cent work will be completed in June.

Furthermore, the upgradation of Phase-3 hospitals to medical colleges is going on in 14 districts of the state on a war footing and almost 60 per cent work has been completed. The construction of medical colleges in Kushinagar, Kaushambi, Sultanpur, Kanpur Dehat, Lalitpur, Pilibhit, Auraiya, Sonbhadra, Lucknow, Bulandshahr, Gonda, Bijnor, Chandauli and Lakhimpur Kheri is being carried out by the Public Works Department.