Issue of Exorbitant MBBS Fee, PG Medical fee raised in Parliament

New Delhi: The issue of exorbitantly rising costs of medical education was once again brought up in the parliament after a written reply was sought by a Rajya Sabha MP on the issue of expensive undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.

Rajya Sabha MP raised a question to the Minister of Health and family welfare on whether Government is aware of the fact that the graduate and post-graduate medical courses have become extremely expensive and are not in reach of poor and middle-class people, and if so, whether Government has any plan to make medical education accessible to all.

Replying to the question, Minister of State for Ministry of Health and family welfare, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey informed that about the process of fixation of fees for government and private medical colleges

In the case of government medical colleges, the respective State governments are responsible for fixation of fee and in the case of private unaided medical colleges, the fee structure is decided by the Committee set up by the respective State Government under the Chairmanship of a retired High Court Judge in pursuance of the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. It is for the Committee to decide whether the fee proposed by an Institute is justified and the fee fixed by the Committee is binding on the Institute.

Replying to the question on steps taken by the government in order to increase the accessibility of medical education the minister apprised about the steps taken by the government to increase medical seats in the country

The Government has taken various measures to increase the availability of medical seats in the country. 82 Government medical colleges have been approved under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for establishment of new medical colleges in underserved areas in 21 States/UTs. There is another scheme for strengthening/ upgradation of existing State Government/Central Government Medical Colleges to increase MBBS seats. Government has also relaxed the norms for Medical Colleges in terms of requirement for land, faculty, staff, bed strength and other infrastructure to facilitate the setting up of new medical colleges. During the last five years, 118 new medical colleges have been established. The MBBS intake capacity has been increased by 18635 seats during the same period and approximately 13000 PG seats have been added.