“Focussed on preserving and training our talent pool of Medical Workforce”, says Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare

New Delhi [India], December 15 (ANI): Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, on Thursday, asserted the government’s commitment towards improving Access to Quality Education for the younger generation.
While reiterating the government’s commitment towards bringing a drastic paradigm shift in education in the country, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said, “Through concerted efforts of Government, there has been a significant increase of 87 per cent in MBBS seats and a massive 105 per cent increase observed in PG seats in last eight years”.
He further said, “Since 2014, several steps have been taken to ease the access to quality education in the country for the younger generation”.
Underlining the impact of initiatives taken under the Central government, Dr Mandaviya said, “We can see change happening at every nook and corner of the country”, and added, “With this momentum and coordination among stakeholders, we would be able to create a holistic ecosystem of education in the country”.
He further said, “Concerted efforts have been taken to train and improve the affordability and accessibility to quality education for our students.”
Informing about the change in the medical education sector, Dr Mandaviya said, “While India had a limited number of 387 medical colleges in 2014, the system was riddled with far too many problems”.
He further stated, “There is a paradigm shift from input-based to outcome-based approaches and reforms. Consequentially, we now have 648 medical colleges in 2022 with a whopping 96 per cent increase in the number of Government Medical Colleges (GMC), and a 42 per cent increase in the private sector, since 2014. At present, out of 648 medical colleges in the country, 355 are Government and 293 are Private”.
“MBBS seats have also seen a massive 87 per cent increase from 51,348 in 2014 to 96,077 in 2022. Similarly, PG seats have increased 105 per cent with 31,185 seats in 2014 to 63,842 in 2022”, he said further.
Speaking about the vision of the government to create 10,000 MBBS seats in Government Medical Colleges (GMC), Dr Mandaviya informed, “58 colleges across 16 States have been approved with an increase of 3,877 MBBS seats”.
“Similarly, to increase PG seats, 72 medical colleges in 21 States/UTs have been approved in phase I, with an increase of 4,058 PG seats. To create 4,000 PG seats in the GMCs, in phase II, a total of 47 colleges have been approved with an increase of 2,975 PG seats”, he further said informing about the government’s initiatives towards quality education.
Notably, Emphasizing the correction of regional imbalances in the availability of affordable and reliable tertiary healthcare, the “Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana” (PMSSY) was launched. The program targeted the establishment of AIIMS likes institutions and the upgradation of existing GMCs resulting in 22 new AIIMS and projects for the up-gradation of 75 Government medical colleges, taken up under the scheme.
“For a fair examination and selection process, a common entrance test- National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for the ‘one country, one examination, one merit’ system was introduced in 2016 with a common counselling system”, he further stated, and added, ” This allowed students from anywhere in India an opportunity to study in any medical college in the country based on merit”.
He said, “National Medical Commission (NMC) was created to replace the highly corrupt body of the Medical Council of India (MCI)”.
He further said, “NMC will modernize the regulatory regime governing medical education. Besides streamlining all the existing regulations, the conduct of a common exit exam NEXT, prescription of fee guidelines, setting the standards for Community Health Providers and rating of medical colleges are being done”.
“Before the NMC Act, there was no legal mechanism to regulate the fee charged by private colleges. Now the guidelines in respect of fees for 50% seats in all colleges including Government, Private and Deemed Universities have been released by the NMC”, he said further.
Addressing the reforms in Nursing Education, Dental Education and Allied and Healthcare professions, he said, “Reforms are ongoing in the sectors. A new National Allied and Healthcare Professions Act 2021, has also been enacted. Similarly, on the lines of the NMC, the Dental Council of India and the Indian Nursing Council are also being reformed through new legislation”.
During COVID, Medical Workforce played a crucial role in the war against COVID, but they faced several challenges, majorly the access to classroom education. In this regard, Dr Mandaviya stated, “Several steps like the DIKSHA platform (one nation, one digital platform) was introduced. QR-coded Energized Textbooks for all grades were made available, with 35 of the 36 states and UTs now boarded on the platform and the contents were contextualized as per the local need”.
He further stated, “Televised lectures for class 1-12 through ‘one class, one channel’ of Swayam Prabha initiative was broadcasted. Other initiatives like Radio, Community Radio and CBSE Podcast- Shiksha Vani, special e-content for the visually and hearing impaired developed on Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on NIOS website/ YouTube and ‘MANODARPAN’ initiative to provide psychosocial support to students, teachers and families for Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing were taken during the COVID pandemic”.
Listing a few flagship initiatives of the Government of India, Dr Mandaviya said that “through Swacchhta Abhiyan itself, 4.5 lakh toilets were made in schools and the drop-out rates, especially for girl students have substantially decreased from17 per cent to 13 per cent in the country.” (ANI)