900 Beds, 2000 OPDs must for 250 MBBS seats: Health Minister details NMC guidelines in Parliament

New Delhi: The Union Minister of State for Health, Smt Anupriya Patel, recently provided the details of patient bed-capacity prescribed under the UG-Minimum Standed Requirements for MBBS seats intake at medical colleges.

For 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 MBBS seats, the hospital should have a capacity of 220, 420, 605, 770 and 900 patient beds, respectively.

Further, there should be an OPD count of 400 for 50 MBBS seats, 800 OPDs for 100 MBBS seats, 1200 OPDs for 150 MBBS seats, 1600 OPDs for 200 MBBS seats, and 2000 OPDs for 250 MBBS seats. There should be 1 minor OT for each surgical speciality and 4 major OTs for 50 MBBS seats, 7 major OTs for 100 MBBS seats, 9 OTs for 150 MBBS seats, 10 OTs for 200 MBBS seats and 11 OTs for 250 MBBS seats.

The details in this regard were shared by the MoS Health while responding to the queries raised by Lok Sabha member Shri Kalyan Banerjee, who sought to know whether there is a need to significantly increase medical seats in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses, for achieving the WHO-recommended doctor population ratio of 1:1000 and the NMC-reported ratio of 1:856.

He also sought the details of the total patient bed capacity prescribed in the UG-MSR and the consideration of the Government for the Quality of Medical Colleges in India for hospitals and newly established medical colleges, and the details of the report, including how these adjustments will address geographic and regional disparities.

Responding to these queries, the MoS Health informed that the government has increased the number of medical colleges, undergraduate and postgraduate seats since 2014. "There is an increase in Medical Colleges from 387 to 780; UG seats from 51,348 to 1,15,900 and PG seats from 31,185 to 74,306 from 2014 to as on date," she informed.

"As per information provided by National Medical Commission (NMC), there are 13,86,157 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," she added.

The Minister informed that the Guidelines for Undergraduate Courses, as outlined in the Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses & Assessment and Rating Regulations 2023 (MSR-2023), specify the minimum infrastructure and faculty requirements based on student intake.

In the form of the following table, she provided the department-wise bed strength corresponding to the number of seats.

As per the details provided by the Minister, to get permission for 50 MBBS seats, the General Medicine department needs to have 50 beds, Pediatrics department 25 beds, the Dermatology department 5 beds, Psychiatry department 5 beds, General Surgery dept 50 beds, Orthopedics department 20 beds, Otorhinolarungology dept 10 beds, Ophthalmology dept 10 beds, Ob-Gyn dept needs 25 beds and 20 beds are required in the ICU.

Bed Capacity for 100 MBBS seats:

General Medicine Dept needs to have 100 beds, pediatrics dept 50 beds, dermatology dept 10 beds, Psychiatry dept 10 beds, General Surgery dept 100 beds, Ortho dept 40 beds, ENT dept 20 beds, Ophthalmology dept 20 beds, Ob-Gyn dept 50 beds, and 20 beds are required in the ICU.

Bed Capacity for 150 MBBS seats:

To get permission for 50 MBBS seats, the General Medicine department needs to have 150 beds, Pediatrics department 75 beds, the Dermatology department 10 beds, Psychiatry department 15 beds, General Surgery dept 150 beds, Orthopedics department 60 beds, Otorhinolarungology dept 20 beds, Ophthalmology dept 20 beds, Ob-Gyn dept needs 75 beds and 30 beds are required in the ICU.

Bed Capacity for 200 MBBS seats:

General Medicine Dept must have 220 beds, pediatrics dept 100 beds, dermatology dept 10 beds, Psychiatry dept 20 beds, General Surgery dept 150 beds, Ortho dept 80 beds, ENT dept 30 beds, Ophthalmology dept 30 beds, Ob-Gyn dept 100 beds, and 30 beds are required in the ICU.

Bed Capacity for 250 MBBS seats:

General Medicine Dept should 225 beds, pediatrics dept 125 beds, dermatology dept 10 beds, Psychiatry dept 25 beds, General Surgery dept 200 beds, Ortho dept 100 beds, ENT dept 30 beds, Ophthalmology dept 30 beds, Ob-Gyn dept needs 125 beds, and 30 beds are required in the ICU.

The Minister further informed that to address geographic and regional disparities, the Government is implementing following schemes with preference to underserved areas and aspirational districts:

 Centrally Sponsored Scheme for establishment of new medical college by upgrading district/ referral hospital under which 131 new medical colleges are 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.

Also Read: Gone on Hold: NMC Keeps 150 MBBS seat limit imposed on Medical Colleges on Abeyance