Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda highlighted the government’s focus on enhancing medical education under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He emphasized the importance of both “hardware” and “software” aspects, referring to infrastructure and an enabling ecosystem. Nadda stressed the significance of creating a conducive environment for students, researchers, and healthcare professionals to excel.
The Minister noted that a nation’s healthcare system’s true strength lies in fostering excellence through a supportive ecosystem. He mentioned the significant impact of policy reforms in driving lasting changes. Nadda highlighted the substantial growth in medical education infrastructure, with the number of medical colleges increasing from 387 to 818 and undergraduate medical seats rising from around 50,000 to over 1.20 lakh.
Referring to the government’s initiatives, Nadda mentioned the goal of adding 75,000 undergraduate medical seats in the next five years, with 25,000 seats already in place. He also pointed out the expansion of postgraduate medical seats from approximately 30,000 to over 80,000, enhancing the availability of specialist doctors in the country. Nadda emphasized the importance of strengthening the healthcare delivery system’s foundation to provide quality healthcare to India’s vast population.
