New Delhi: The number of MBBS seats is all set to increase by over 4,500 from this academic year. This will help bridge the demand-supply gap of doctors to a great extent.
From this year, a total of 74,215 students will be able to get admission into MBBS courses all over the country. Last year, this number was 69,712. As per data submitted by the Medical Council of India’s Board of Governors (MCI-BOG) to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the government medical colleges will account for 36,222 seats.
Sources said 37 new medical colleges have been permitted this year, most of which are district hospitals upgraded into teaching institutions. “The rise in MBBS seats is also due to many medical colleges offering more seats under the new EWS (Economically Weaker Section) quota and the relaxed rules which allow colleges to increase the number of seats,” a source said, adding: “the number of medical colleges has also increased from 496 to 529”.
Accordingly, Uttar Pradesh will be the biggest beneficiary as 7,102 students will get into MBBS this year in the state as against 6,499 last year, an increase of 603 seats. The number of medical colleges has increased from 48 to 55. This will be followed by Gujarat, where there is an increase of 600 seats.
In Bihar, there will be an increase of 150 seats each. Delhi has 1,100 MBBS seats, but there will be no increase. Similarly, there has been no increase in Jharkhand, where there are 350 seats. Uttarakhand, on the other hand, will lose 150 seats as MCI approval was withdrawn in one medical college there.
This is to be noted that the MCI had initiated steps to further increase the seats by 850 more seats nationally, but six medical colleges could not fulfill its requirements and, as a result, the process of admission in these colleges was stopped.
The country, this is to be noted, is facing an acute shortage of doctors, As per information provided by the MCI, till 2017, there are 10.41 lakh allopathic doctors registered with State Medical Councils/MCI. Assuming 80% availability, it is estimated that around 8.33 lakh doctors may be actually available for active service. This gives a doctor-population ratio of 1:1596 as per current population estimate of 1.33 billion. However, WHO norms prescribe that there should be one doctor for a population of 1,000.