State PG Diploma
seats converted
to PG Degree
Andhra Pradesh 164
Assam 7
Bihar 13
Delhi 20
Gujarat 143
Haryana 13
Jammu & Kashmir 51
Jharkhand 13
Karnataka 476
Kerala 55
Madhya Pradesh 113
Maharashtra 276
Puducherry 15
Rajasthan 44
Tamil Nadu 461
Telangana 181
Uttar Pradesh 80
West Bengal 10
Total 2135
Source: MCI websiteEarlier diploma courses with extra years
of experience were considered for the
faculty positions and what we need in
India is faculty. The diploma courses are
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faculty. So, there is an effort that all
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Sood,
Dean, Academics,
Ram Manohar
Lohia Hospital
India is faculty. The diploma courses
are not sufficient to give us the teach-
ing faculty. So, there is an effort that all
diploma courses are upgraded to degree
courses so that we get adequate faculty
generated in the coming years,” said Dr.
Rajeev Sood, Dean, Academics, Ram
Manohar Lohia Hospital.
Other steps taken
The Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare has also come up with a scheme
for medical colleges offering MBBS
degree in various districts to upgrade
their programmes if they have adequate
infrastructure. “The regulator will
assess if they can do it. It is up to the
institutions and the state to come up
with it because it is a state-specific sub-
ject. But, yes, an assessment will be
there before the programme starts,” said
Prof. S Ramji, former Dean, MaulanaAzad Medical College, Delhi.
The Health Ministry has also come up
with a scheme for establishment of new
medical colleges attached with existing
district hospitals. The scheme proposes
to open 58 medical colleges in under-
served areas of the country with intake
capacity of 100 MBBS seats in each
college.Paucity of doctors
India with a population of 1.37 billion
is way behind in meeting the WHO
norms of 1 doctor per 1,000 popula-
tion. The current registration data from
professional councils indicate that the
doctor to patient ratio is at 1:1953. So,
India has a long way to go to meet WHO
norms. “Even if we double the number
of medical colleges also, it will take a
long time to get adequate doctors and
teachers. We need teachers. It is not
only upgradation, it is the addition of
new specialities and super specializa-
tion that we need,” added Dr. Sood, who
is also an elected member of the MCI.SEATS UPGRADED
ACROSS THE STATES