Medical fees in private colleges may be capped: Up to 90% cut in PG fees suggested
The medical education regulator of the country has recommended the Union Ministry to cap the fee of MBBS course in the private medical colleges. If the Union Health Ministry accepts the recommendation, the fee will be capped around 8 lakh per year.
The Medical Council of India-Board of Governors (BoG) based its recommendations on an analysis of the fee structures in private medical colleges and the cost of studies at AIIMS, Delhi and the Armed Forced Medical College (AFMC) in Pune.
The suggested maximum fees of postgraduate courses are up to 90% lower than what students pay at present. The cap would apply to 50% of the seats in private medical colleges that are centrally regulated. At present, the private colleges charge between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 1. 2 crores for MBBS and Rs 1-3 crore for MS and MD.
The average cost of study for an MBBS student at AIIMS, Delhi is Rs 10 lakh per annum and Rs 6 lakh a year at AFMC, Pune. But the students in the government medical colleges pay less than Rs 5 lakh for the full duration of the course in most government colleges, as it is highly subsidised by Central and state governments.
A senior BoG official told Indian Express that they’ve found that the cost of study should not exceed Rs 10 lakh. But many of the experts have a different opinion. “If MBBS fee for half the seats in private colleges is fixed around Rs 48 lakh, it will still be extremely unaffordable for a large number of students and defeat the purpose of regulating the sector,” said Dr Sanjay Nagral, a senior member of the Association of Doctors for Ethical Healthcare.
“Elements of equity and merit should also be considered so that students from rural areas and not-so-well-to-do families also reach private medical colleges,” said Anant Bhan, a researcher in global health and bioethics.
Source: The Indian Express