The number of medical undergraduate seats has increased from 51,348 before 2014 to 89,875 seats as of date which is an increase of 75% while the number of medical postgraduate seats has gone up by 93% from 31,185 seats before 2014 to 60,202, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharti Pravin Pawar stated in a written reply in the Lok Sabha earlier this week.
She added that the doctor-population ratio was 1:834 in the country assuming 80% availability of registered allopathic doctors and 5.65 lakh AYUSH doctors. Also, there were 2.89 lakh registered dentists, 32.63 lakh registered nursing personnel and 13 lakh Allied and Healthcare Professionals in the country.
Health was a State subject and the primary responsibility to fill the vacancies of health personnel in Government hospitals lay with the State Government concerned, the Minister noted adding that regarding healthcare/medical professionals in the country, there were 13,01,319 allopathic doctors registered with the State Medical Councils and the National Medical Commission as on November, 2021.
Listing out the steps taken by the Central Government to increase the availability of doctors in the country, the Minister said that a Centrally-sponsored scheme for establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading district/referral hospitals under which 157 new medical colleges had been approved and 71 were already functional. Also there was an ongoing programme for strengthening/ upgradation of existing State Government/Central Government Medical Colleges to increase MBBS and PG seats.
“Central Sector Scheme for upgradation of Government Medical Colleges by construction of Super Specialty Blocks. A total of 75 projects have been approved and 55 have been completed. There is also a scheme for setting up of new AIIMS. 22 AIIMS have been approved. Undergraduate courses have started in 19 AIIMS,’’ noted the Minister.
She added that relaxation in the norms for setting up of medical college in terms of requirement for faculty, staff, bed strength and other infrastructure had also been open and the DNB qualification had been recognised for appointment as faculty to take care of shortage of faculty. “Enhancement of age limit for appointment/extension/re-employment against posts of teachers/dean/principal/ director in medical colleges up to 70 years,’’ the Minister added.
