BHOPAL: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda joined the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Tuesday, in laying the foundation of two medical colleges in two tribal-dominated districts of the state.

The two medical colleges which will be built in Dhar district of western MP and Betul district of central MP respectively, will be the first medical colleges in the country, to come up under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

The two colleges are part of four PPP-based medical colleges which are planned to be developed in the State—Dhar, Betul, Katni, and Panna. They will be linked with existing district hospitals to strengthen both medical education and healthcare service delivery.

Under this model, the state government has provided up to 25 acres of land on lease, while private service providers will construct academic and clinical infrastructure, including medical college buildings, hostels, laboratories, and residential complexes.

The associated district hospitals will be upgraded in strict accordance with National Medical Commission (NMC) norms, while remaining under the administrative control of the State Government to ensure uninterrupted public health services.

Terming the occasion as a historic milestone, Nadda noted that the PPP model reflects a forward-looking approach to expanding medical education and healthcare delivery. He highlighted that India’s healthcare system, once focused primarily on curative care, has undergone a paradigm shift since 2017 moving towards preventive, promotive, and holistic healthcare.