Strongly disapproving the practice of wasting a large number of post graduate medical seats every year, the Supreme Court emphasized that it is the duty of the Centre and the Medical Counseling Committee to ensure that not even a single seat remains vacant as the country needs more doctors and specialized medical professionals. During the 2021-22 academic session 1,456 post graduate medical seats remained unfilled after conclusion of counselling . The admission process needs to be streamlined and additional mop up sessions should be conducted to allow students seeking admission. With a pathetic doctor to population ratio of 0.08 doctors per 1000 (WHO recommends 1 doctor for every 1000 population) in the public healthcare system even after including unani medicine practitioners, homeopaths, ayurvedacharyas etc. the prospect of even one medical seat going waste is criminal. As it is India has only 1,301,319 allopathic doctors registered with state medical councils, we are facing a shortfall of 600,000 doctors and 2,00,000 nurses countrywide. The government and private medical colleges should hold multiple counselling sessions to make up for the shortfall. Suitable legislation too needs to be brought in for this purpose.
