Extensive efforts made to expand medical education infrastructure, Lok Sabha told

New Delhi, The Union government has made concerted efforts to expand medical college infrastructure under various centrally-sponsored schemes over the past decade to make medical education more affordable, Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav told the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare administers a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district and referral hospitals with preference to underserved areas and aspirational districts, where there is no existing government or private medical college, Jadhav said in a written reply.

A total of 157 medical colleges have been approved across districts. Further, support has also been provided for upgrade of existing state and central government medical colleges to increase the number of MBBS and postgraduate seats under another CSS scheme.

Under these schemes, an additional 4,977 MBBS seats and 8,058 PG seats have been approved in medical colleges across the country, Jadhav said.

According to the National Medical Commission , the number of medical colleges have increased by 111.36 per cent, from 387 in 2013-14 to 818 at present, he stated.

Further, the Lok Sabha was informed that MBBS seats have increased by 151.18 per cent, from 51,348 before 2013-14 to 128,976 at present, while PG seats have increased by 172.63 per cent, from 31,185 before 2014 to 85,020 currently, thereby contributing to improved accessibility to medical education.

The fee structure for MBBS courses differs from state to state in government and private medical colleges as per guidelines issued by state fee regulatory authorities. Further, the government continuously endeavours to make medical education more affordable and prevent commercialisation, Jadhav said.

In order to make medical education affordable and accessible in the country, the fee structure of government medical colleges is subsidised. In accordance with the provision of the Constitution , there is a reservation of 10 per cent in UG and PG medical seats for economically weaker sections.

Also, guidelines have been framed under Section 10 of National Medical Commission Act, 2019, for determination of fees and other charges in respect of 50 per cent of seats in private medical institutions and deemed to be universities which were issued by NMC on February 3, 2022.

However, the guidelines have been challenged in various courts and are sub judice, the reply read.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.