Medical colleges in India increased to 819 from 387 in 11 years: Union health minister

NEW DELHI: The number of medical colleges in the country has gone up from 387 to 819 in the last 11 years, Union Health Minister Nadda said on Saturday. Addressing the 50th Annual Convocation Ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, Nadda said similarly, the number of undergraduate medical seats has risen from 51,000 to 1.29 lakh and that of postgraduate seats from 31,000 to 78,000.

He said an additional 75,000 seats are expected to be added across the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the next five years.

The health minister congratulated the graduating students and commended the AIIMS for its unparalleled contribution to advancing medical science, education and patient care in the country. He exhorted the young doctors to serve people with empathy, uphold the highest standards of ethics and harness innovation to meet the country's evolving healthcare needs.

Nadda also noted that the country has made considerable progress in maternal and child health, with the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declining from 130 to 88 and the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) from 39 to 27, according to the Sample Registration Survey (SRS) data.

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The Under-five Mortality Rate (U5MR) and Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) have also shown significant reductions of 42 per cent and 39 per cent, respectively, both exceeding the global average.

Nadda further stated that TB incidence in India has dropped by 17.7 per cent, more than twice the global rate of 8.3 per cent, as reported by The Lancet Report.

Concluding his address, the health minister requested the graduating students to actively contribute to academics and research, and uphold the prestigious legacy and brand of the AIIMS through excellence in their professional and ethical conduct. He encouraged them to remain lifelong learners and innovators, committed to advancing medical science and serving the society with compassion.