States with enough number of doctors keep churning them out
When it comes to the health sector, India is always known to have an acute shortage of doctors, though some states is an exception. Now, while states with enough number of doctors and medical colleges are continuing to allow new private medical colleges, states like Jharkhand and Bihar, with an acute shortage of doctors have seen very few new medical colleges opened in the last five years.
The doctor-patient ratio in the Jharkhand is one for 8000 people, which is one of the worst. No new medical college has been established there since 1969. Even in the last five years, where nationally, 121 new medical colleges were seen to be opened, Jharkhand got none. Like in Bihar, the doctor-patient ratio is one for over 3200 people. No medical colleges were opened over the last five years.
In Kerala, the doctor-patient ratio is one for 535 people, which is more than enough. Despite this ratio, Kerala has had nine medical colleges opened in the last five years, including six private colleges accounting for 750 seats. Also, Karnataka has a doctor-patient ratio of 1:507. Since 2014, Karnataka has opened 11 medical colleges, with five private colleges accounting for 750 seats. Though eight government colleges in Bihar and five in the Jharkhand have been proposed, it is for the future.
As per the rules, for any medical college to be opened, the state has to issue an ‘essentiality certificate’ which certifies that a medical college is needed. This move is to prevent unhealthy competition. But, the establishment of new private colleges raises the question of why the states producing more doctors continue to issue essentiality certificates.
But the results show that many medical colleges thus established, and allowed to permit students in the first year or for a few years are then derecognized when they fail to meet MCI norms. Then, the state government have to take responsibility for the students, who were already studying in such colleges.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/states-with-glut-of-doctors-keep-churning-them-out/articleshow/66093433.cms