No. of medical colleges in India gone up to 654 from 387 since 2014

New Delhi: There has been a 69-per cent increase in the number of medical colleges in the country, from 387 before 2014 to 654 as of now, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.

Further, there has been a 94-per cent rise in the number of MBBS seats, from 51,348 to 99,763, and a 107-per cent increase in the number of postgraduate (PG) seats, from 31,185 before 2014 to 64,559 as of now, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

The steps taken by the government to increase the number of medical seats in the country include a centrally-sponsored scheme for the establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading the district and referral hospitals, Pawar said, adding that 94 of the 157 new medical colleges approved are already functional.

A centrally-sponsored scheme for strengthening or upgrading the existing medical colleges run by the state or the central government has been implemented to increase the numbers of MBBS and PG seats, the minister said.

Under “upgradation of government medical colleges by construction of super specialty blocks” of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), a total of 75 projects have been approved, of which 60 are complete, she added.