The Government on Friday said it has increased the number of Medical Colleges, Under Graduate (UG) and Post Graduate (PG) seats. The number of medical colleges in India has increased from 387 in 2014 to 844 now, while undergraduate MBBS seats have grown from 51,348 to 1,39,489, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said in the House.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today, Minister further sais PG seats 31,185 to 86,360 from 2014 to as on date. She said that the opening up of new medical colleges in the remote and undeserved areas of the country coupled with increase in MBBS seats will enhance the availability of doctors and further improve healthcare delivery.
The minister also said that the Family Adoption Programme (FAP) has been incorporated into the MBBS curriculum to provide equitable healthcare access to rural population. FAP involves medical colleges adopting villages, and MBBS students adopting families within these villages.
The minister said the establishment of new medical colleges in remote and underserved regions, along with the expansion of MBBS seats, is expected to improve the availability of doctors and strengthen healthcare delivery across the country.Patel also highlighted the Family Adoption Programme (FAP), which has been integrated into the MBBS curriculum.
Under the programme, medical colleges adopt villages, while MBBS students adopt families within those villages to provide regular follow-up on vaccination, growth monitoring, menstrual hygiene, iron and folic acid supplementation, nutrition, healthy lifestyle practices, vector control and medication adherence.She noted that the District Residency Programme (DRP), introduced by the National Medical Commission (NMC), mandates a three-month posting for postgraduate medical students at district hospitals as part of their training.
Responding to a question on the impact of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Patel said an evaluation commissioned by NITI Aayog found encouraging outcomes, including improved infrastructure and higher community footfall due to expanded access to comprehensive primary healthcare services.The study cited better availability of care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), outpatient services, free medicines and diagnostic facilities.
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