Today, On 3rd December, The Supreme Court of India has raised concerns over vacant medical seats and urged the Central Government to consult stakeholders for solutions. Highlighting the high demand for healthcare professionals, the court stressed the importance of ensuring all seats are filled. It called for streamlined admission processes and better resource utilization in medical education. This move aims to address gaps and improve access to healthcare across the country.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court emphasized on Friday that vacant seats in medical courses cannot be allowed to persist and instructed the Centre to convene a meeting with relevant stakeholders, including state representatives, to review the recommendations made by a committee established to address this issue.
A bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan remarked,
“Seats also cannot go vacant,”.
In April 2023, the Court raised concerns over the unfilled super specialty seats in medical education. Subsequently, the Centre proposed forming a committee, including stakeholders from both state and private medical colleges, led by the director general of health services, to tackle the problem.
Read Also: Supreme Court: “Medical Seats Should Not Go to Waste Amid Doctor shortage In Country”
During Friday’s proceedings, the Centre’s counsel confirmed that the committee had been formed and had submitted its recommendations. The counsel suggested that it would be beneficial for the Centre to organize a meeting with the stakeholders to devise a concrete proposal.
Consequently, the bench directed the Centre to hold this meeting within the next three months and scheduled the matter for review in April.
In April 2023, the apex court described the situation as a “very sorry picture,” noting that 1,003 valuable super specialty seats were going unused due to a lack of admissions.
The Court highlighted the contradiction,
“On the one hand, we find that there is always a shortage of super specialty doctors and on the other hand these precious seats remain unfilled.”
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The availability of medical seats is very important for several reasons:
Many countries, including India, don’t have enough doctors. Adding more medical seats helps train more doctors to meet the rising need for healthcare. More doctors mean better access to medical care, especially in rural and underserved areas, improving health outcomes in these regions.
In short, having enough medical seats is essential for building a good healthcare system that serves everyone and tackles health challenges effectively.
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