82% increase in no. of medical colleges in India since 2014: Centre tells LS

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday informed the Lok Sabha that there has been an 82-percent increase in the number of medical colleges in the country, from 387 before 2014 to 704 now, with an increase of 110 percent in the number of MBBS seats, from 51,348 to 1,07,948 in the same period.

The minister, in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, further said that there has also been an increase of 117 percent in the number of post-graduate (PG) medical seats in the country, from 31,185 before 2014 to 67,802 as of now.

Some of the measures and steps taken by the government to augment the medical education facilities and improve the medical standards in the country include the centrally-sponsored scheme (CSS) for the establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading district/referral hospitals under which 157 new medical colleges have been approved and 107 of those are already functional, he added.

The Union health ministry administers the CSS with a preference given to underserved areas and aspirational districts, where there is no government or private medical college, with fund-sharing between the Centre and state governments in the ratio of 90:10 for the northeastern and special category states and 60:40 for the other states.

The CSS was implemented for strengthening and upgrading the existing state government or Centre-run medical colleges to increase the number of MBBS (both UG and PG) seats. Support has been provided to add 4,677 MBBS seats in 77 colleges with an approved cost of Rs 5,612.25 crore, 4,058 PG seats in the first phase in 72 colleges with an approved cost of Rs 1,498.43 crore, and 3,957 PG seats in the second phase in 62 colleges with an approved cost of Rs 4,461.44 crore.

Under the “upgradation of government medical colleges by the construction of super-specialty blocks” of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), a total of 75 projects have been approved, of which 62 are complete, the minister said.

Under the CSS for setting up the new All India Institute of medical sciences, 22 such institutes have been approved. Undergraduate courses have started in 19 of those, Mandaviya said.

The National Medical Commission Act, 2019 provides for a medical education system that improves access to quality and affordable medical education and ensures the availability of adequate and high-quality medical professionals in all parts of the country. The NMC has also taken several steps to improve the quality and affordability of medical education in the country.

The qualification awarded by the Diplomate of National Board (DNB) through the National Board of Examinations (NBE) has been recognized for appointment as faculty members to take care of a shortage of faculty.

There has been an enhancement of the age limit for appointments, extensions, and re-employment against the posts of teachers, deans, principals, and directors in medical colleges up to 70 years, the minister pointed out.

The teacher-student ratio has been rationalized to increase the number of postgraduate medical seats in the country, he noted.

The norms for setting up medical colleges in terms of requirements of faculty staff, bed strength, and other infrastructure have been relaxed, Mandaviya said.

The NMC Act also provides for the framing of guidelines for the determination of fees and all other charges in respect of 50 percent seats in private medical institutions and deemed-to-be universities, which are governed under the provisions of the Act.

Accordingly, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has framed the guidelines and the same was issued on February 3, 2022, the minister said.