Question : Enhancing Seats in Medical Colleges

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has initiated steps towards enhancing seat in medical colleges from the current 77,000 to 1,00,000 to cope with the increasing demand for healthcare professionals, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government is aware of the abysmal level of competence of medical graduates passing out from medical colleges in Russia, China and East Bloc Nations, who fail to qualify the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE) conducted by the National Board of Examinations, even after repeated attempts, if so, the details thereof; and

(c) whether during the last four years only 14.2 per cent of the 61,708 overseas medical graduates, cleared the FMGE, if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a): At present, there are 539 medical colleges in the country with an intake capacity of 80,312 MBBS seats annually. During the last six years the intake capacity has been increased by 29185 MBBS seats. The Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme to established new medical colleges attached with District/Referral hospitals in underserved areas of the Country. Of the 157 medical colleges to be established in different phases, 42 have already become functional. The remaining 115 medical colleges are likely to become functional by 2022-23. The Ministry is also implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme to increase 10000 MBBS seats in the existing Government medical colleges. The Ministry has also under taken regulatory reforms in the field of medical education to increase the supply of medical professionals.

(b) & (c): Section 13(4A) of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 prescribes that any Indian student who obtains medical qualification from a country outside India shall have to qualify a Screening Test i.e. Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE) to be enrolled with the State Medical Council or the Medical Council of India (MCI). National Board of Examinations (NBE) which conducts FMGE informed that in the last four years (2015-2018), around 61,708 candidates have appeared in FMGE out of which 8764 qualified the exam. Further, the details of performance of students graduating from Russia, China and East Bloc Nations as provided by NBE are at Annexure.

The medical institutions / Universities of foreign countries admit Indian students without proper assessment or screening of the students’ academic ability to cope up with medical education with the result that many students fail to qualify the FMGE. Keeping in view of the same, MCI regulations have been amended to make it mandatory for the Indian students to qualify NEET to pursue foreign medical course.