13,436 Medical seats Added during 2024-25 academic year: MoS Health

In the recently held Parliament session, MP Samik Bhattacharya sought to know from the MoS Health whether Government has decided to add 75,000 medical seats in the next five years in Medical Colleges, whether Government has introduced or plans to introduce any new scheme for opening new medical colleges, particularly in underserved and rural areas and if so, the details thereof; and the role of private sector participation in achieving the target of increasing medical seats, and whether any incentives are being considered to facilitate this expansion?

While responding to the series of questions asked by the MP, MoS Health Anupriya Patel informed that in recent years, the Government has taken several measures to increase the number of medical colleges, which subsequently increased medical seats. There is an increase of 101.5% in medical colleges from 387 before 2014 to 780 as of now. Further, there is an increase of 130% in MBBS seats from 51,348 before 2014 to 1,18,190 as of now, there is also an increase of 138% in PG seats from 31,185 before 2014 to 74,306 as of now. A total of 13,436 medical seats were increased during the 2024-25 academic year itself.

Further, support is provided for civil works, equipment and furniture for increasing MBBS seats in Government Medical Colleges with a cost ceiling of Rs.1.20 Crore per seat under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for “Up-gradation of existing Government medical colleges to increase MBBS seats”, said MoS Health.

"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.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that 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.