New Delhi: The Centre cleared a proposal for increasing over 10,000 MBBS seats in government medical colleges across the country by upgrading them to help bring down the doctor-patient ratio.

Of the 10,000 crore proposal, the Centre would bear 7,500 crore and state/Union Territory's share will be 2,500 crore.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in its meeting today approved the 10,000 crore proposal of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for upgradation of existing state government/central government medical colleges to increase the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) seats.

"This will result in the increase of about 10,000 seats at a total cost of 10,000 crore, with a proposed central assistance share of 7,500 crore and State/Union Territory share of 2,500 crore," said a government release.

The funding pattern under the scheme will be 90:10 by Central and State Governments respectively for North Eastern states and special category states and in the ratio of 70:30 for other states.

The total cost of one MBBS seat is approximately 1.20 crore.

The proposal is aimed at increasing the number of doctors to help bring down the doctor-patient ratio from the current 1:2000 to 1:1000.

At present, there are around 50,000 MBBS seats across the country and government is keen to increase them to address the issue of shortage of doctors.

Government is aiming at increasing the MBBS seats across the country to increase doctors for helping reduce the disease burden and work in the unserved areas of the country, especially in the rural hinterland.
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