Medicine body to probe infra gaps as govt pushes to increase MBBS, PG seats

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has launched a nationwide survey to evaluate infrastructure, hostel facilities and faculty strength in medical colleges, as the government pushes ahead with plans to expand MBBS and postgraduate seats.

The survey has so far received around 1700 responses from medical students and resident doctors. FAIMA said it has set a target of at least 2,000 responses before compiling and submitting its report to the National Medical Commission (NMC).

“We welcome the increase in UG and PG seats. But colleges must first have adequate hostels, functioning machines and proper infrastructure. In many places, three students are already sharing a single room. Adding more admissions without facilities will worsen the situation,” FAIMA president Dr Akshay Dongardive said.

FAIMA Founder and Chairman Dr Manish Jangra said, “Many colleges are being opened without infrastructure and faculty. This includes some government colleges. Our report will also cover resident doctors’ working hours and related reforms.”

Dr Rohan Krishnan, Chief Patron of FAIMA, said the expansion of medical education was being driven by quantity over quality. “Online and biometric inspections are being misused. Without strengthening quality checks, this expansion is not in the interest of patients or students,” he said.

On September 24, the Union Cabinet approved Phase-III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) to expand medical education in government institutions. Under this scheme, 5,023 new MBBS seats and 5,000 PG seats will be added between 2025-26 and 2028-29.

According to the government, the objective of the scheme is to increase the availability of qualified doctors and specialists, address regional imbalances in medical education and improve healthcare delivery. The expansion will take place through upgrades in existing government medical colleges, standalone postgraduate institutes and government hospitals.

Phases I and II of the schemes had already added thousands of new seats. In Phase I, 4,977 MBBS and 4,058 PG seats were introduced across government colleges, while Phase II added another 4,000 MBBS seats in various states. The government has also indicated that the broader target was to add around 75,000 medical seats over the next five years to meet growing healthcare demands.

The National Medical Commission (NMC), which replaced the Medical Council of India in 2020, has faced criticism for centralised authority and inefficiencies, according to a Lancet report released in July.