Decks have been cleared for opening eight new medical colleges in the private sector in Bihar with the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) approving the proposals. The SIPB approved the proposals for setting up four medical colleges in the private sector in Patna, two at Bettiah and one each at Ara and Saharsa.

The SIPB also cleared a proposal for opening a dental college at Ara, official sources said.

Two American companies had submitted separate proposals for setting up the medical colleges in Patna and its adjoining areas. The board gave its nod to the proposal of the medical world4u, an American company owned by an Indian, for setting up a medical college and super-speciality hospital at Patna with an investment of Rs 148.87 crore.

Another such proposal put forth by the Indo-American Medical Foundation Director Purushottam Madhu too received the permission to run a medical college with an investment of Rs 100 crore within a radius of 30 kms from Patna.

Besides, the Hai Medical and Research Institute Private Limited, a nursing home here, also got clearance for running a minority medical college at Raza Bazaar in the state capital with an investment of Rs eight crore.

The SIPB also approved a proposal to open a medical college at Patna at a cost of Rs 300 crore with training facilities for the paramedical staff. At Bettiah, the Medicontrivers India Limited has proposed to set up a medical college and take up the modernisation of the MJK hospital there, while the Universal Empire Group of Kochi would set up another medical college in Bettiah, the sources said.

The Lord Budha Education Trust and the Ambedkar Medical and technical education trust would set up Medical College at Saharsa and Ara, respectively, they said.

Meanwhile, a 29-memer parliamentary committee team headed by Amar Singh, MP, would visit the Patna Medical College and Hospital here on November 8 and meet with principals and deans of the six government medical colleges and two private medical colleges of the state on the proposed amendment in the MCI Act, 1956.