Govt will add 75K medical seats in next 5 years: Nadda

Belagavi: Union health minister JP Nadda said the Narendra Modi govt aims to significantly increase opportunities in medical education by adding 75,000 seats across the country over the next five years.

Speaking as the chief guest at the 15th convocation of KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, a deemed university, in Belagavi, Nadda highlighted the strides made in the healthcare education sector. "In the past 10 years, the govt has increased undergraduate medical seats from 45,000 to nearly 1.2 lakh — a 130% jump," he said. "Postgraduate seats grew by 138%. We are not going to stop there. Under the third term of PM Modi, we intend to add 75,000 medical seats in the next five years."

Nadda outlined the govt's broader approach to healthcare, emphasising a model that is "curative, preventive, palliative, and rehabilitative". "Today, over 1.7 lakh Ayushman Arogya mandirs operate across the country, providing a range of wellness and healthcare services," he said.

Union minister Pralhad Joshi praised India's rapid growth in the healthcare sector, including medical services, equipment manufacturing, and exports, besides the launch of Janaushadhi Kendras, a nationwide network which provides generic medicines at low costs. "Unfortunately, some states are shutting down these centres," Joshi said, a pointed reference to the Karnataka govt's decision to close kendras on the premises of govt hospitals.