To be a doctor in “India”

Source-This post on To be a doctor in “India” has been created based on the article “Express View on Ukraine-returned medical students” published in “The Indian Express” on 10 April 2024.

UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-2– Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Context– Due to ongoing Russia- Ukraine war, countries in Central Asia, Eastern and Southeastern Europe have become the preferred destination for large number of repatriated medical students.

These countries are also attracting new batches of Indian students. These developments also highlight the deficits in the Indian medical education system. To be a doctor in India

What are the issues with Indias medical health system?

1) Inadequate number of medical seats-Around 2 million students appeared for NEET examination to get entry into MBBS courses. However,the available seats were around 1,07,950. In other words, the ratio of medical college seats to aspirants was about 20:1.

2) High fees in private colleges-Due to cutting throat competition, only the top 0.25 % students can get admission into government colleges. Remaining students have to apply for private colleges, which are costly.

3) Procedural Impediments-Students who have done their MBBS from foreign institutes are subjected to rigorous test before allowing them to practice in India.

What steps can be taken by the government to address this issue?

1) As per the recommendation of Niti Aayog, private colleges should be linked to district hospitals to serve underserved areas.

2) Skill sets of paramedics and nurses can be enhanced to cater to non-specialist demands of the medical sector. This will address the issue of paucity of doctors in rural areas.

3) India, like European countries, can allow transferring credits which will make it easier for migrant students to transition into hospital internships.

Question for practice

Highlight the issue with Indias medical health system? Suggest steps that can be taken to improve the situation.