ESIC’s Healthcare Revolution: 20 New Medical Colleges to Transform Access Nationwide

The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) will establish 20 new medical colleges within the next two years, with an aim to change the way healthcare becomes accessible and medical education reaches under-served locations. The first 10 colleges will materialize in 2025-26 in locations like Pune, Manesar, Kollam, Surat, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Asansol, Nagpur, Pandunagar, and Margaon, each with 50 MBBS seats and 200 beds. Another 10 colleges are planned for 2026-27, increasing the total ESIC-run medical colleges to 31 nationwide.

This growth retains 40% seats for the insured workers' children and also backs the government's intention to enhance medical seats by 75,000 in five years. ESIC is also becoming merged with Ayushman Bharat PMJAY, with more than 14 crore beneficiaries availing of cashless treatment in empanelled hospitals, especially where ESIC facilities do not exist.

 

Sources: Projects Today, Times of India, Economic Times