Budget shortfall limits seat expansion in govt medical colleges
Summary
The Medical Education Commission has been unable to increase MBBS and nursing seats in government medical colleges due to a lack of financial support from the Ministry of Finance, despite adequate infrastructure in public institutions.
Key Points
- The Medical Education Commission could not expand MBBS and nursing seats in government colleges due to lack of financial support from the Finance Ministry.
- This year, 495 new MBBS seats were added, with only 130 allocated to government colleges and the majority going to private institutions.
- Government medical colleges provide full scholarships to 75% of their students, costing the state around Rs 5 billion annually.
- Experts criticized the expansion favoring private colleges, cautioning it may lead to commercialization of medical education.
