MEDICAL COLLEGES MORE THAN DOUBLE SINCE 2014; MBBS SEATS RISE 177.45 PER CENT: UNION MINISTER
New Delhi, Sep 09, 2026 : The number of medical colleges in the country has more than doubled from 387 to 858 since 2014, while MBBS seats have increased from 51,348 to 1,42,464 and postgraduate seats from 31,185 to 86,287, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda said while addressing the Ministerial Roundtable on “Human Resources for Health: Equity in Specialized Care” during the 79th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia (RC79) in Timor-Leste on Tuesday.
Nadda said the expansion of medical education infrastructure has strengthened India’s health workforce capacity and improved access to specialised healthcare, particularly for people in rural, tribal, underserved and hard-to-reach areas.
The number of MBBS seats has increased by 177.45 per cent, while postgraduate seats have increased by 176.69 per cent, according to a press release from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Focus on postgraduate capacity, nursing education:
The minister highlighted the targeted expansion of postgraduate capacity, saying schemes to increase medical seats were extended in September 2025 with a target of creating 10,000 additional PG seats by 2028-29. Priority has been given to underserved areas and shortage specialities, including Emergency Medicine, Geriatrics, Psychiatry and Family Medicine.
Nadda also said 157 new nursing colleges are being established alongside existing medical colleges. These institutions are expected to add around 15,700 nursing graduates annually, with emphasis on improving access to quality and affordable nursing education in underserved districts and states and Union territories.
1 lakh allied healthcare professionals to be created:
The government has announced the creation of 1 lakh allied and healthcare professionals over five years, supported by the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021, and the establishment of the National Commission in 2024.
The commission brings 57 diverse allied and healthcare professions under a structured regulatory framework, Nadda said.
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs expanding primary healthcare:
Nadda highlighted the role of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in providing comprehensive primary healthcare, including screening, early identification and referral services. Ayushman Arogya Shivirs further extend screening and specialist consultations to underserved communities, he said.
Flexible measures to retain specialists in difficult areas:
The minister also highlighted the role of Community Health Centres and First Referral Units in providing specialist and referral services.
To improve the availability and retention of specialists in difficult areas, India is adopting flexible mechanisms, including competitive remuneration, difficult-area allowances, in-sourcing of speciality services, performance-based incentives and fixed-tenure postings, he said.
Digital health helping bridge geographical gaps:
Nadda said India is leveraging digital health technologies to overcome geographical barriers and extend access to specialist services.
Platforms such as eSanjeevani and ABHA-enabled digital health records are facilitating teleconsultations, referrals and continuity of care, particularly for people living in remote and underserved areas.
He said India’s approach is moving towards building a larger, more diverse and geographically well-distributed health workforce, with sustained emphasis on underserved areas and shortage specialities.
Dili Declaration adopted at WHO regional session:
A key outcome of the 79th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia was the adoption of the “Dili Declaration on Human Resources for Health: Equity in Specialized Care” by health ministers of member states of the WHO South-East Asia Region.
Through the declaration, member states committed to a comprehensive set of actions to address health workforce shortages, maldistribution and the growing need for specialised healthcare.
The declaration calls for aligning health workforce planning, education and financing with current and future demographic, epidemiological and health emergency preparedness needs. It also calls for policies to attract, recruit, deploy, retain and improve the performance of specialist health workers, particularly in rural and underserved areas, guided by the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.