Government of Tamil Nadu Disagrees with NMC’s Notification Limiting New Medical Colleges

The Tamil Nadu government said on Wednesday that a National Medical Commission notice banning the formation of new medical institutions had produced a “regressive scenario” and should be put on hold.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was requested by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to tell the Union Health Ministry to suspend the announcement and begin a consultation procedure to resolve the issue.

 

“I would like to bring to your kind notice the regressive situation brought about by the NMC’s recent announcement restricting the creation of new medical institutions. After the academic year 2023-2024, the NMC has announced that the Letter of Permission for opening new medical colleges will only be issued for an annual intake capacity of 50, 100, or 150 seats, under the condition that the medical college will adhere to the ratio of 100 MBBS seats for every 10 lakh inhabitants in that State or UT.

 

The CM said that this is a “direct encroachment” on the rights of all State governments and a punishment of those who have made more long-term investments in their public health infrastructure.

 

According to him, progressive states like Tamil Nadu have been developing their tertiary healthcare systems for many years, which has resulted in a plentiful supply of physicians and nurses. This, according to him, has led to higher performance in terms of a number of health indices.

 

“Chennai has become India’s center for healthcare. Our highly trained medical personnel have successfully served not only the people of Tamil Nadu but also those of other states and other countries in both the public and private sectors. New institutions are definitely important for us to meet the demand for high-quality healthcare services that has resulted from this, Stalin said.

 

“Higher doctor-to-population ratio at the state level as opposed to the norms, which is the criteria advocated for such limitation, is also inappropriate. There are places where access to physicians remains a problem even when there is sufficient supply at the state level, he added.

 

Only by establishing new medical colleges in underdeveloped regions will the issue be successfully solved, and any limitation based on state-level standards would deny these worthy districts access to the tertiary institutions they so desperately need.

 

“I would also like to draw attention to the fact that such high availability of doctors has been achieved primarily due to investments made by State Governments and the private sector and not by investments made by the Union Government in states like Tamil Nadu that have a higher doctor-population ratio.”

 

“We have been urging the Union Government to contribute more frequently, but initiatives like AIIMS, Madurai have not yet begun,” Stalin remarked.

 

Given the circumstances, any possibility of Tennessee receiving additional Central funding in the healthcare sector will be absolutely eliminated by a prohibition on new institutions.

 

The Supreme Court recently ruled that presidential orders may not put reasonable limitations on the constitutionally protected freedom to form educational institutions under Article 19(1)(g) of the Indian Constitution.

 

Therefore, the aforementioned NMC notice may likewise be legally problematic. Stalin pleaded with the PM, “Considering all the aforementioned matters, I humbly beseech you to direct the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to maintain this notification in abeyance and launch a consultation process with the State Governments on the ways to solve this problem.