More medical colleges to be opened in India: Azad

The central government will set up more medical colleges through public-private participation to meet the shortage of skilled doctors in India, union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said here Friday.

Informing the Rajya Sabha, Azad said corporate sector would also be allowed to establish medical colleges in states.

He added that the regulations of the Medical Council of India (MCI) were being amended. The MCI is a statutory body that regulates medical colleges, new colleges and doctors' registrations.

Azad said his ministry was proposing to set up a National Council for Human Resources in Health as a regulatory agency for the health sector to reform the current framework and enhance supply of skilled personnel.

He said a task force has been set up, headed by union Health Secretary Naresh Dayal, to work out the details of the council. "The task force will submit its report to the ministry by July 31," Azad said.

On July 1, the minister announced that doctors who are ready to work in remote and inaccessible primary health centres in the country may get double their salary.

He said this was the "only way" to ensure that doctors and paramedical staff work in these remote and tribal areas.

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( 218 Words)

2009-07-03-17:21:53 (IANS)

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