Union Health Ministry Asks 62 Private Hospitals To Consider Starting Medical Colleges

Considering the resources private hospitals can bring to uplift the country's medical education sector, the Union Health Minister has advised 62 top charity private hospitals to start imparting MBBS and PG medical programs. If everything goes as the Center expects, around 20 of these hospitals will likely begin programs this academic year.

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This proposed move aims to add more seats, which will help provide quality and affordable medical education in India as the vast range of health infrastructure already available at these top institutions can be utilized for learning by medical candidates.

Therefore, to mollify the whole procedure for these private establishments, the Centre has promised to ease paperwork and relax some norms.

According to the ANI report, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met with around 62 well-known private charity hospitals without medical education and asked them to start ug and pg medical courses.

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Hospitals, including Apollo hospitals, Amrita Hospitals, Anandamayi, Jaslok hospital in Mumbai, and Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital hospitals, attended the meeting. Wherein they discussed the documentation and criterion of the government related to land, beds, infrastructure, rules and much more.

"We have urged these widely topmost hospitals to start medical colleges for medical education to Indian students so that they do not go abroad for medical studies," Mandaviya stated.

As per the officials, many hospitals have already submitted their applications, and those that pass the inspections will take in students from the current academic year. However, the hospitals are reluctant regarding excessive paperwork and norms related to land and infrastructure requirements, on which the Minister has promised relaxation.

"Good private hospitals were not curious in training pupils; the hospital was their business. There are 4 or 5 such hospitals in each city. Now, they have decided to start programs," the Minister added.

The Minister has also undertaken one round of meetings with hospitals, and it is expected that 12- 13 hospitals may start medical education this year, adds ANI.

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In addition to MBBS, PG Medical seats in India

Private hospitals commencing MBBS and PG medical courses can be one of the biggest additions to India's total seat matrix of medical seats.

According to the data the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) shared recently, 1,00,163 MBBS and 65,335 PG medical seats are available in over 655 medical colleges. The Ministry has stated a 69% Increase in Medical Colleges from 387 before 2014 to 655. Further, there is a hike of 95% in MBBS seats from 51,348 before 2014 to 1,00,163 as of now, and an increase of 110% in PG seats from 31,185 before 2014 to 65,335 currently.

In December last year, the aggregate stood at 96,077 MBBS and 49,790 Postgraduate medical seats. Since then, the government has increased the number of medical colleges and subsequently increased MBBS as well as PG medical seats.

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