Pune’s ESIC Medical College and Hospital has received approval from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with the institution scheduled to begin from the 2027-28 academic year and initially offer 50 MBBS seats, according to a report by Lokmat – Pune. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the approval on social media.
The proposed institution is expected to combine medical education with hospital services under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation. The approval creates an additional medical education and healthcare facility in Pune, a city that serves patients from across western Maharashtra and neighbouring regions.
The report said the college will initially have 50 MBBS seats. It did not provide further details on the approved hospital bed capacity, the exact campus location, construction status, admission process or the timeline for completing the associated infrastructure. These details will determine when the institution can become fully operational.
Pune already has a major concentration of healthcare and medical education institutions, including Sassoon General Hospital and B J Government Medical College, alongside private hospitals and research facilities. Patients from Pune, western Maharashtra, Marathwada and adjoining areas depend on the city for specialised treatment. The new ESIC institution is expected to add to this existing healthcare and training network once it becomes operational.
The approval also has a direct connection to the ESIC system, which provides medical and social security benefits to eligible insured workers and their families. The report stated that the proposed hospital would support access to modern and affordable healthcare for ordinary citizens and workers after reaching full capacity. The scale and terms of that access, however, will depend on the facility’s final operational arrangements and service capacity.
Chief Minister Fadnavis described the approval as a significant decision for Maharashtra and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister J P Nadda. He also said the new college would help create more trained doctors for the state and strengthen healthcare systems in urban and rural areas.
The medical college is expected to open from the 2027-28 academic year. Before that, the authorities will need to complete the institutional, clinical and infrastructure requirements associated with starting an MBBS programme and operating the linked hospital. The report did not specify the next construction, regulatory or admissions milestones.
