Remove ban on opening new medical colleges: Anbumani urges Modi
In 2021, the population of Tamil Nadu was estimated to be around 7.64 crore. For this population, Tamil Nadu can only have a maximum of 7,640 MBBS admissions per year
PMK chief Anbumani Ramadoss (File)
CHENNAI: Pointing out that the medical colleges are required not only to train medical graduates but also the paramedical staff, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove the ban imposed by National Medical Commission (NMC) to open new medical colleges in the state.
In a letter to the PM, Anbumani said that various studies have shown that the number of doctors in India must be increased to achieve the Doctor: Patient ratio of 1:1000 recommended by the World Health Organization.
In this situation, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has banned opening new medical colleges and increasing medical seats in existing medical colleges in South India, including Tamil Nadu.
"The NMC has announced that a maximum of 100 medical students per ten lakhs population can be admitted in any State and increasing seats beyond this limit is not permissible. This will negatively impact States like Tamil Nadu and Kerala that have improved their healthcare infrastructure," he opined.
In 2021, the population of Tamil Nadu was estimated to be around 7.64 crore. For this population, Tamil Nadu can only have a maximum of 7,640 MBBS admissions per year. However, Tamil Nadu currently has 11,600 medical seats. Therefore, no new medical colleges can be started in Tamil Nadu for many more decades. Besides, no additional seats can be created in existing medical colleges.
"Starting new medical colleges, producing doctors, and increasing students' intake should not be based on population alone. Medical education and medical services should be based on the needs of the society and not on population figures. The NMC should realize this," he urged.
Saying that India needs more medical colleges to train paramedical staff, Anbumani opined that medical colleges not only train medical graduates. They are training centres for paramedical staff which are required in large numbers all over India. India needs around 20 lakh nurses, physiotherapists, dialysis technicians, and other specialized paramedical staff.
"If there are more medical colleges in the southern states including Tamil Nadu, it is the result of the progressive steps taken by the Governments of these states for many decades. For that, the Central Government and the NMC should praise and reward these State governments and not punish them by imposing such restrictions," he said.
