1,18,190 MBBS, 74,306 PG medical seats in India: Health Minister answers in Parliament

New Delhi: "Tthere are a total number of 74,306 Postgraduate seats and 1,18,190 MBBS seats in the country," Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Patel stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha recently.

The Minister was responding to the queries raised by Niranjan Bishi and Sulata Deo regarding the number of postgraduate (PG) and MBBS graduates passing out each year from medical colleges in each State during the last five years, year-wise and State-wise; and the doctors to patient ratio in each State of the country with a comparison of 2004 and 2024, alongwith the number of doctors and total population for each State during those years.

The members also sought to know the measures taken by Government to improve the availability of doctors, especially in rural and remote areas, and whether any schemes or initiatives have been introduced to incentivize doctors to serve in these areas?

"As of now, there are a total number of 74,306 Postgraduate seats and 1,18,190 MBBS seats in the country. As per information provided by National Medical Commission (NMC), there are 13,86,150 registered allopathic doctors. The Ministry of AYUSH has informed that there are 7,51,768 registered practitioners in the AYUSH system of medicine. Assuming that 80% of registered practitioners in both the allopathic and AYUSH systems are available, the doctor-population ratio in the country is estimated to be 1:811," the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare stated.

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Speaking on the measures/steps taken by the Government to increase the doctor/medical professionals in the country, the MoS Health mentioned the following-

· Centrally Sponsored Scheme for establishment of new medical college by upgrading district/ referral hospital under which 131 new medical colleges are already functional out of 157 approved medical colleges.

· Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening/ upgradation of existing State Government/Central Government Medical Colleges to increase MBBS and PG seats.

· Under “Upgradation of Government Medical Colleges by construction of Super Specialty Blocks” of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) scheme, a total of 75 projects have been approved, of which 71 projects are complete.

· Under the Central Sector Scheme for setting up of new AIIMS, 22 AIIMS have been approved. Undergraduate courses have been started in 19 of these.

The measures/steps taken by Government to improve the availability of doctors in rural and remote areas include: -

· The Family Adoption Programme (FAP) has been incorporated into the MBBS curriculum to provide equitable healthcare access to rural population. FAP involves medical colleges adopting villages, and MBBS students adopting families within these villages.

· Under District Residency Program of NMC second/third year PG students of medical colleges are posted in district hospitals.

· Hard area allowance is provided to specialist doctors for serving in rural and remote areas and for their residential quarters.

· Honorarium to Gynaecologists/Emergency Obstetric Care (EmoC) trained, Paediatricians & Anesthetist/ Life Saving Anaesthesia Skills (LSAS) trained doctors is provided to increase availability of specialists for conducting Cesarean Sections in rural & remote area.

· Special incentives for doctors and incentive for ANM for ensuring timely ANC checkup and recording, incentives for conducting Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health activities.

· States are allowed to offer negotiable salary to attract specialist including flexibility in strategies such as “You Quote We Pay”.

· Non-Monetary incentives such as preferential admission in postgraduate courses for staff serving in difficult areas and improving accommodation arrangement in rural areas have also been introduced under NHM.

· Multi-skilling of doctors is supported under NHM to overcome the shortage of specialists. Skill upgradation of existing HR is another major strategy under NRHM for achieving improvement in health outcomes.

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