LUCKNOW, Feb. 12 -- Uttar Pradesh has made medical education the centrepiece of its healthcare strategy, proposing an allocation of Rs.14,997 crore in the latest budget. The state plans to establish new medical colleges in 16 districts through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, combining public funding with private implementation. The move represents a structural shift from traditional approaches that focused primarily on schemes, insurance coverage, and hospital construction. The government is now directing substantial resources toward expanding the medical workforce. UP currently operates 81 medical colleges, 45 government-run and 36 private, across 60 districts. To address regional gaps, the state has proposed new institutions in the remaining 16 districts using the PPP framework. The expansion has been substantial. MBBS seats increased from 4,540 in 2017 to 12,800. Postgraduate seats rose from 1,221 to 4,995 during the same period. An allocation of Rs.1,023 crore has been designated for establishing and operationalising 14 new medical colleges, aiming to decentralise medical education and specialist training beyond major urban centres. The department of medical health and family welfare has been allocated Rs.37,956 crore, 15% more than the previous fiscal year. The spending covers workforce expansion, financial protection, disease prevention, and infrastructure development. Key allocations include Rs.130 crore for free treatment of serious illnesses, Rs.500 crore under Ayushman Bharat-Chief Minister Jan Arogya Yojana covering 49.22 lakh beneficiary families, Rs.8,641 crore for the National Rural Health Mission, and Rs.2,000 crore for the Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission. The state has allocated Rs.2,867 crore for AYUSH services, operating 2,111 Ayurvedic, 254 Unani, and 1,585 Homoeopathic hospitals, along with multiple medical colleges in each stream....