The states have largely benefitted by upgrading their medical education infrastructure under the scheme. Concerted efforts have been made for multifold regional expansion with focus on under-served areas to correct regional imbalances and to address lack of accessibility.
States such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal have been sanctioned 27, 23, 14 and 11 medical colleges respectively, under these schemes.
For the first time since Independence, medical colleges have been established in Andaman & Nicobar Island, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Ladakh. Four hundred forty-seven districts of the country now have at least one medical college catering to a large extent to both the aspiring students and the patients in the nearby districts. Every state and different regions of the country can now have the benefit of a medical college in the vicinity.
Regulatory structures
There has also been an effective revamping of the regulatory structures in order to make medical education more affordable. The NMC has imposed the regulation of fees to cap tuition fees for 50 per cent MBBS and postgraduate medical seats in private medical colleges and universities.
One of the most significant reforms pertains to the streamlining of regulations for the establishment of medical colleges. The new minimum standards of requirements for postgraduate courses (MSR) 2023 have relaxed the requirements for setting up of a medical college in terms of requirement of land, number of beds, departments and faculty positions.
Introduction of the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations 2021 aims to make the medical education system more transparent, accountable and consistent. Physicians who have received their training in India or overseas will be required to take the NExT (National Exit Test) to be qualified to apply for a practicing licence in India and be considered for merit-based seat distribution in broader specialties.
NMC has been conferred with the coveted World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) recognition status for a tenure of 10 years. This accolade provides Indian students with an opportunity to pursue their career anywhere in the world, while also making India an attractive destination for international students due to our globally recognized standards.
District hospitals
The District Residency Scheme is another initiative to improve health services at the district level. Here, 2nd and 3rd year PG students are required to complete a three-month training programme in district hospitals; they will be exposed to a variety of cases in the district health system thereby enriching their skills. This will also help to address the medical personnel crises often found in district hospitals.
In order to deal with problems of ghost faculty and to gradually remove assessor/human interface and have real time data for monitoring medical colleges, latest technology and IT-driven interventions have been taken. The Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) has been implemented across hospitals, whereas the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) is being used by attached teaching hospital. CCTVs installed in medical colleges are providing video feed in real time.
The slew of reform measures undertaken recently has further strengthened the medical education sector. India stands at the threshold of leading the world in provisioning of universal healthcare through its trained and skilled healthcare force while also ensuring that our workforce is an integral part of the global healthcare sectors.
