The expansion involves Phase-III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening and upgradation of existing government medical colleges and institutions nationwide.
- India currently has 808 medical colleges, the highest in the world, with a total intake capacity of 1,23,700 MBBS seats.
- Significance of the expansion of medical education capacity include -
- Bridging the gap in healthcare accessibility, particularly in underserved rural and remote areas.
- Strengthening the health system's resilience and contributing to overall socio- economic development.
- Enhancing the quality of medical education and training to meet global standards.
- Leveraging existing infrastructure of government hospitals and colleges for cost-effective expansion of tertiary healthcare, etc.
Issues in Medical Education System
- Regional Imbalance: Approximately one-third of medical colleges are concentrated in the southern part of India.
- Accessibility Gap: 70% shortage of specialists in rural India (Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2024).
- Demand Mismatch: ~81% registered allopathic doctors practice in urban areas that house 31% of the country’s population.
- Hospitals & infrastructure under-utilization: Some government colleges with large hospital beds‐capacity are still limited to low MBBS seat quotas.
Other Initiatives to expand Medical Education Capacity
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