Govt to Add 75,000 Medical Seats in 5 Years

• The government plans to add 75,000 UG and PG medical seats nationwide.
• India’s medical colleges doubled from 387 in 2014 to 819 in 2025.
• Health indicators improve with major declines in MMR, IMR, and tuberculosis cases.

To enhance India's healthcare system considerably, the Union government has revealed a strategy to add another 75,000 medical seats in the nation over the next five years, according to media reports. The expansion would encompass both undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) levels, aiming to meet the increasing need for qualified healthcare professionals in the nation.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda, during the 50th Annual Convocation Ceremony of AIIMS New Delhi, mentioned that India's medical education sector has experienced "unprecedented growth" in the past ten years.

Reports indicate that the total of medical colleges has more than doubled, increasing from 387 in 2014 to 819 by 2025. Similarly, UG medical seats increased from 51,000 to 1.29 lakh, whereas PG seats rose from 31,000 to 78,000.

According to data from the National Medical Commission (NMC), Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka have established the highest number of new medical colleges over the past five years, greatly enhancing India's medical capacity.

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Highlighting improvements in public health, Nadda referenced Sample Registration System (SRS) figures showing a decline in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) from 130 to 88 and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) from 39 to 27. He also noted that the Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) and Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) have fallen by 42% and 39%, respectively, exceeding international averages, as stated in the HT report.

Citing a Lancet report, India's Health Minister Nadda mentioned that India experienced a 17.7% decrease in tuberculosis cases, which is over double the global average of 8.3%. The minister stated that this is due to improved access to healthcare, better diagnosis, and awareness initiatives.