ADB approves $500 mln loan for medical infrastructure in Maharashtra

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan package worth USD 500 million to improve access to quality and affordable tertiary health care and medical education in Maharashtra.
ADB has been working with the state government of Maharashtra to achieve its vision of providing affordable and accessible tertiary health care to all by 2030 and strengthening quality and professional medical practitioners, said ADB Health Specialist Nishant Jain.
“This programme introduces key policy reforms to strengthen the state’s tertiary health care and medical education. It will also expand medical education and health facilities to provide modern medical services in underserved areas in the state,” Jain said, as per a release from the regional development bank on Thursday.
As per the release, four medical colleges attached to tertiary care teaching hospitals incorporating climate- and disaster-resilient, gender-responsive, and socially inclusive features in underserved districts will be constructed.
It will increase bed capacity in government tertiary care hospitals and hire at least 500 new doctors for four new governmental medical colleges.
To integrate gender and social inclusion in medical education, ADB said it will support the state to create a gender unit under the Medical Education and Drugs Department.