There should be one medical college or institution for PG medical education in every district: PM

PM Modi said the gap in medical education and delivery of health services is being reduced

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the government was making efforts to ensure that every district of the country at least has a medical college.

Addressing a virtual ceremony to lay foundation stones of four medical colleges in Rajasthan and inauguration of the Institute of Petrochemicals Technology, Modi said his government had also succeeded in reforming the Medical Council of India, which was mired in controversy, and set up the National Medical Commission.

The Prime Minister said it was necessary to have a network of medical colleges and super-specialty hospitals such as AIIMS in every corner of the country.

“The Centre is making efforts that there should be one medical college or institution for PG (post-graduate) medical education in every district,” he said.

Modi said India was moving towards an empowered network of 22 AIIMS from six AIIMS.

“In the last six-seven years, over 170 new medical colleges have been started and over 100 new medical colleges are being developed,” he said.

He said since the NDA government came to power in Centre in 2014, the number of undergraduate and postgraduate seats in medical colleges has increased from 82,000 to over 1.4 lakh.

Modi said his government had also introduced the new education policy that also makes it possible pursuing medical education in Hindi and other Indian languages.

Modi said when he became chief minister of Gujarat 20 years ago, there were many challenges in the areas of medical infrastructure, medical education and treatment facilities, but he tried to change the situation with collective efforts.

Modi said skilled manpower associated with healthcare has a direct impact on effective health services.

“This was keenly felt in the corona period. The success of the central government's ‘Free vaccine, vaccine for all’ campaign is a reflection of this,” he said.

“Today, more than 88 crore doses of the corona vaccine have been administered in India,” Modi said.

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