The Union health ministry has given its green signal for strengthening/up-gradation of existing state government and central government medical colleges in different states of the country to increase MBBS seats to meet the growing demand for doctors in the country.

The ministry's decision in this regard comes in the background of the fact that there is an urgent need to augment medical seats capacity as there is an overall shortage of doctors in the country and the gestation period for setting of new medical colleges is long.

According to sources, the high powered Empowered Committee of the health ministry, headed by health secretary, in its first meeting held on December 29, 2014 considered the proposal of 'Strengthening/up-gradation of existing State Govt/Central Govt Medical Colleges to increase MBBS seats'.

After detailed discussion, the proposal of the Government of Punjab to increase MBBS seats at Govt. Medical College, Patiala from 150 to 200 and at Govt. Medical College, Amritsar from 150 to 200 was agreed. The proposal of the Government of Tamil Nadu to increase MBBS seats at Govt Medical College, Coimbatore from 150 to 250; Govt. Medical College, Kanyakumari, from 100 to 150; Govt. Medical College, Tirunelveli from 150 to 250 and Govt.
Medical College, Madurai from 155 to 250 was also agreed by the committee.  

Likewise, the proposal of the Government of Uttarakhand to increase MBBS seats at Govt Medical College, Haldwani from 100 to 150 was also agreed.  The proposal of the Government of Madhya Pradesh to increase MBBS seats at Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal from 150 to 250; GR Medical College, Gwalior from 150 to 250; S S Medical College, Rewa from 100 to 150; MGM Medical College, Indore from 150 to 250 and GR Medical College, Gwalior from 150 to 250 too was agreed.

The committee also agreed the proposal of the Government of Rajasthan to increase MBBS seats at RNT Medical College, Udaipur from 150 to 250; Govt Medical College, Kota from 100 to 150 and Govt Medical College, Jhalawar from 100 to 150 seats.

The committee, headed by Health Secretary Lov Verma, has eight members.  Dr. B. D. Athani, Spl. DG, Dte. GHS; Gautam Guha AS & FA; Ali R. Rizvi Joint Secretary (ME); Dr. Jayashree Bhattacharya Principal, VMMC; Dr. Sanjay Shrivastava DDG (ME), Dte. GHS; Devesh Deval Deputy Secretary (ME); and Sudhir Kumar Under Secretary (ME) are the other members of the committee.