Udupi: Six new medical colleges will be established in Bagalkot, Haveri, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Chikballapur and Yadgiri of Karnataka state. Also, the state government has received necessary approval to convert Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru into Medical College, said Dr. Sharanaparakash Rudrappa Patil, Karnataka State Minister for Medical Education speaking at the inaugural session of pre-conference workshop on Critical Care Physiotherapy organised by Manipal University in Manipal on Tuesday.

The minister added that his ministry is waiting for necessary permission from Finance Ministry for further move to establish six new medical colleges in the state.With the new 6 medical colleges, additional 600 medical seats will be made available to the existing total medical seats in the medical colleges in the state.

Minister added that the government has been trying to establish new medical colleges by which poor students can afford medical education. In the last four years, the government has opened six government medical colleges in the districts of Kalaburagi, Koppal, Gadag, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, and Uttara Kannada.

A branch of the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research would be started in Hubballi whereas a branch of Kidwai Institute of Oncology is expected to be inaugurated in a month in Kalaburagi. The state government is constructing two super specialty hospitals in Hubballi and Bellary. Also, two trauma centres in Mysuru and Kalaburgi are being constructed by the government, the minister said.