Government has given a green signal to the proposal to increase the number of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) seats by 10,000 in government medical colleges across the country. The move aims to bring down the doctor-patient ratio in India.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the health ministry’s proposal related to the centrally sponsored scheme for upgradation of existing state government/central government medical colleges to increase the MBBS seats. It will lead to an increase of about 10,000 seats at a total cost of Rs 10,000 crore out of which the centre would bear Rs 7,500 crore and the share of state/union territories would be Rs 2,500 crore. The funding pattern will be 90:10 by central and state governments respectively for north-eastern states and special category states, and in the ratio of 70:30 for other states.
