West Bengal Medical Colleges Seek MBBS Seat Expansion from 2025-26 to Address Doctor Shortage

The proposed increase in MBBS seats is anticipated to alleviate the burden on urban healthcare facilities by enabling a more equitable distribution of medical professionals across districts. This strategic move aims to reduce patient influx in metropolitan hospitals and enhance healthcare accessibility in rural and semi-urban areas.

As the NMC reviews these applications, the focus remains on ensuring that the expansion aligns with quality standards, including adequate infrastructure, faculty, and clinical exposure for students. The outcome of this initiative could serve as a model for other states grappling with similar healthcare challenges. In a collective effort to enhance the healthcare workforce, fourteen West Bengal medical colleges have officially approached the National Medical Commission (NMC) to sanction more than 600 MBBS seats from the 2025-26 academic year. The move is spurred by the urgent necessity to improve the doctor-patient ratio and provide equitable healthcare across the state.

West Bengal is presently home to 37 medical colleges with a total of 5,700 MBBS seats, of which 24 are state-run. In spite of such a facility, the state is dealing with a doctor-patient ratio of 1:10,000, far below the World Health Organization's recommended rate of 1:1,000. This contrast highlights the need to increase the number of practicing physicians in order to keep pace with increasing healthcare needs.

A top state health department official stressed the need for this expansion, saying, "The state needs more doctors to improve patient care services. This is the foremost reason why 14 medical colleges have applied for an increase in their undergraduate seats."

The colleges seeking seat augmentation are predominantly newer establishments, strategically located to serve underrepresented regions. These include:

• Diamond Harbour Government Medical College and Hospital

• Jalpaiguri Medical College and Hospital

• Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Medical College and Hospital, Cooch Behar

• Deben Mahata Government Medical College and Hospital, Purulia

• Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Government Medical College and Hospital, Uluberia

• Barasat Government Medical College and Hospital

For instance, Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital, currently offering 100 MBBS seats, has applied for an additional 50 seats.

The NMC has been pressing for an increase in medical education to cater to the country's shortage of healthcare professionals. With around 25 lakh hopefuls competing for fewer than 1.20 lakh MBBS seats every year, the supply is far below the demand. NMC Chairperson B.N. Gangadhar pointed out the commission's position, saying, "We want to provide an opportunity for more students to study medicine. This will also enhance the doctor-patient ratio in the country."

But the NMC's previous suggestion to limit MBBS seats according to a state's population—100 seats per million people—was met with resistance from a number of states, such as West Bengal. As such, the commission pushed the adoption of this rule to the 2025-26 academic session to enable states to make necessary plans.

The proposed increase in MBBS seats is anticipated by the state to alleviate the burden on urban healthcare facilities by enabling a more equitable distribution of medical professionals across districts. This strategic move aims to reduce patient influx in metropolitan hospitals and enhance healthcare accessibility in rural and semi-urban areas.

As the NMC reviews these applications, the focus remains on ensuring that the expansion aligns with quality standards, including adequate infrastructure, faculty, and clinical exposure for students. The outcome of this initiative, the state believes, could serve as a model for other states grappling with similar healthcare challenges.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Sakshi Thakar/MSM)