Amaravati, May 31 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday virtually laid the foundation stones for the construction of 14 medical colleges in the state.

With the addition of the new colleges coming up at Piduguralla, Machilipatnam, Vijayanagaram, Anakapalle, Rajahmundry, Amalapuram, Palakollu, Eluru, Bapatla, Markapuram, Madanapalle, Penukonda, Nandyala and Adoni, the state will have 16 new medical colleges in all.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the state government is committed towards developing healthcare facilities and making them available to all sections of people by setting up a medical college with a super-speciality hospital in every parliamentary constituency and nursing colleges affiliated to the medical colleges.

The construction work for the new medical colleges is expected to be completed within three years at an estimated cost of Rs 8,000 crore, while the construction of two medical colleges, in Pulivendula and Paderu, is already underway.

"There is a need to open 16 new medical colleges in the state for improving tertiary care, as currently only 11 medical colleges are functioning," Reddy said.

The Chief Minister said that the government is also setting up 500-bed hospitals along with the medical colleges, with modern infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities.