13,004 MBBS, 5800 PG seats added in medical colleges in 2017: Health Minister

New Delhi: Over 5,800 post-graduate seats have been added this year across medical colleges in the country, Parliament was informed.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha that the emphasis of the government on increasing the number of doctors in the country will improve the doctor- population ratio.

"There are 479 medical colleges in the country with an intake capacity of 67,352 MBBS seats. 13,004 MBBS seats have been added in the last three years," he said yesterday.

"To increase the availability of faculty and specialist doctors in the country, one-time increase in PG seats was permitted this year after the revision of teacher student ratio. In all, over 5,800 PG seats have been added this year," the minister said.

Choubey also said that the government is implementing a centrally-sponsored scheme for the establishment of new medical colleges attached with district/referral hospitals in 58 districts in 20 states and union territories in underserved areas of the country.

There are other centrally sponsored schemes for increasing under-graduate and post-graduate seats in the existing government medical colleges, the minister said.

"Minimum Standard Requirements (MSRs) for medical colleges including the requirement of land, faculty, staff, bed strength and other infrastructure has been rationalised to facilitate setting up of new colleges," he said.