Population-seat ratio; no new medical college for Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Medical Commission will not permit new medical colleges or an increase in MBBS seats in Kerala. The commission took the stand citing the national policy of 100 MBBS seats for every ten lakh people in each state. Kerala, with a population of 3.5 crores, is entitled to have only 3500 seats. Currently, there are 4100 medical seats in the state- 131 seats per 10 lakh people. The Commission has decided not to accept applications from Kerala. The condition has come into effect this academic year itself.

With the National Medical Commission deciding not to allow new medical colleges in Kerala, the Wayanad, Kasargod and Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital medical colleges, which the state government is planning to start, and the self-financing medical colleges in Palakkad and Varkala will not get permission. Seats cannot be increased in medical colleges, including government colleges. The state government had announced that it would start govt medical colleges in all the districts.

There are no issues in starting new PG courses. PG courses will also be allowed in District and General Hospitals. The government could have started MD and MS courses in 17 District Hospitals and 16 General Hospitals in the state. However, it has not applied for it. Meanwhile, self-financing medical colleges have secured new PG courses.

Shortage of 40,000 seats
In India, there is a shortage of about 40,000 medical seats in proportion to its population. The condition of 100 seats per 10 lakh population has been introduced to fill this shortfall by distributing medical seats to the states proportionally. There are no medical colleges in several places like the inner villages of Bihar. Out of 706 medical colleges in the country, 274 are in South India. Tamil Nadu has the highest number of medical colleges- 74. In North India, most medical colleges are in UP (68), Maharashtra (68), Gujarat (40), Rajasthan (35) and Bengal (35). There are only 21 medical colleges in a large state like Bihar.

Medical Colleges in South India

Kerala................... 33
Tamil Nadu ..............74
Karnataka ...........69
Andhra ...................33
Telangana .............56
Pondicherry ...........9

(figures provided by National Medical Commission)

Medical Colleges

387 medical colleges (51,348 seats) in 2014
706 medical colleges (1,09,170 seats) in 2023

51 countries
Malayali students are studying medicine in 51 countries, including Nepal and the Caribbean island of Curacao.

In Kerala
Total MBBS Seats- 4200
Seats in Govt Medical Colleges (fee-22,050)-1455
Seats in 19 self-financing colleges (fee-6.61-7.65 lakhs)- 2745