In 5 years, govt colleges added 32% more MBBS seats than private ones

Over the past five years, the number of undergraduate medical colleges in the country has increased 27.5 per cent and, of these, the increase in government colleges is almost double that of private medical colleges.

Giving a written reply to a question on the number of MBBS seats in the country, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya informed the Lok Sabha on Friday that the total number of medical colleges with undergraduate courses went up from 480 in 2017-18 to 612 in 2022-23, an increase of 27.5 per cent.

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Of these, the number of government medical colleges went up by 85 (237 in 2017-18 to 322 in 2022-23), an increase of nearly 36 per cent. In comparison, the number of private colleges went up by just 47 (243 in 2017-18 to 290 in 2022-23), an increase of nearly 19 per cent.

36 pc increase in MBBS seats in five years

As far as the number of MBBS seats is concerned, the increase in government colleges is more than double as compared to private colleges. The total number of MBBS seats, that is the undergraduate level, rose from 67,523 in 2017-18 to 91,927 in 2022-23, an increase of 24,404 seats in five years, or up around 36 per cent.

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Of these, in government colleges, undergraduate seats in the last five years went up by 16,729 (from 31,483 in 2017-18 to 48,212 in 2022-23), a 53 per cent increase, while in private medical colleges 7,875 seats were added (from 36,040 in 2017-18 to 43,915 in 2022-23), which is around 21 per cent increase.

The colleges in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana offer nearly 39 per cent (35,500 seats) of the total 91,127 MBBS seats in the country. Of these, Karnataka (10,145 seats) and Tamil Nadu (10,725 seats) have nearly 59 per cent of the seats in the five southern states.

Tamil Nadu has the largest number of MBBS seats in government medical colleges (5,225 in 38 colleges), followed by Maharashtra (4,825 in 29), Uttar Pradesh (4,303 in 35), Gujarat (3,700 in 18), and West Bengal (3,225 in 20). Sikkim is the only state without a single government medical college. It has one private medical college with 150 MBBS seats.

Karnataka has the highest number of MBBS seats in private medical colleges (6,995 seats in 42 colleges), followed by Tamil Nadu (5,500 in 32), Maharashtra (5,070 in 33), Uttar Pradesh (4,750 in 32) and Telangana (3,200 in 23).

Central schemes to increase medical seats

The government has taken various steps to increase the availability of undergraduate and post-graduate seats which include a centrally sponsored scheme for establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading district/referral hospitals under which 157 new medical colleges have been approved and 72 are already functional, the minister informed the Lok Sabha.

The steps also include centrally sponsored scheme for strengthening or upgradation of existing state government/central government medical colleges to increase MBBS and PG seats. There is also a central sector scheme for upgradation of government medical colleges by the construction of super specialty blocks and 75 projects have been approved for this.

Under the central sector scheme for setting up new AIIMS, 22 AIIMS have been approved and undergraduate courses have started in 19 AIIMS.

Also, the government has relaxed norms for setting up medical colleges in terms of requirement for faculty, staff, bed strength and other infrastructure. Diplomate of National Board (DNB) qualification has been recognised for appointment as faculty to take care of shortage of faculty.  Steps also include enhancement of age limit for appointment/extension/re-employment against posts of teachers/dean/principal/director in medical colleges up to 70 years, Mandaviya said.

Under the centrally sponsored scheme for ‘Upgradation of government medical colleges for increase of MBBS seats in existing medical colleges’, 3,495 MBBS seats have been approved in 16 states and Union Territories, the minister said. Under the scheme for ‘Strengthening and upgradation of state government medical colleges for starting new PG disciplines and increasing PG seats’, 5,930 seats have been approved in 22 states and Union territories in two phases – 4,058 in phase I and 1,872 in phase II.

Doctor-population ration at 1:854

In reply to another question in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Minister of State for Health Bharati Praveen Pawar said that India’s doctor-population ratio at 1:854 is better than the World Health Organisation’s standard of 1:1,000. She also said there are 34.33 lakh registered nursing personnel and 13 lakh allied and healthcare professionals in the country.

According to the information provided by the National Medical Commission (NMC), there are 13,08,009 allopathic doctors registered with State Medical Councils and the National Medical Commission as on June, 2022, she said.

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“Assuming 80 per cent availability of registered allopathic doctors and 5.65 lakh Ayush doctors, the doctor-population ratio in the country is 1:834, which is better than the WHO standard of 1:1000,” she said in a written reply.

For making rapid growth in the number of allied medical seats in the country, the government has enacted the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021, and an interim commission has been notified under the provisions of NCAHP Act, 2021, she said.