No quick solution: The Hindu editorial on the state of medical education in India

The war in Ukraine has exposed the plight of Indian students, many of whom are studying medicine. Amid the turmoil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a webinar on the Union Budget announcements on the health sector, said that many young Indians were moving to “smaller countries of the world for medical education” and therefore, Cooperation of the states as well as the private sector should be encouraged to set up more medical colleges and hospitals at the local level so that such aspirants stay in India. His remarks are well-meaning, but the dynamics of India’s medical education system are complex. However, the most sought-after international destinations – traditionally, the US, UK and some Western European countries for medical education – are, however, too expensive for most Indians. Over the past few decades, Russia, China (countries larger than India) and Ukraine (one of Europe’s largest countries), with their historic commitment to public health care, have been able to provide more affordable, yet quality education Huh. India’s vast population is still predominantly rural, but most trained doctors, paramedics and nurses move to cities for well-known reasons. Medical education, an empirical field in nature, requires critical infrastructure – land, equipment, and trained faculty at the postgraduate level – all of which are in short supply and uneven in their spread. Without addressing these gaps, India cannot expect to dramatically increase the availability of medical personnel. The government needs to make health care the centerpiece of its economic reconstruction.

Anemia’s expenditure on health is not unique to this government; Over the years, India’s spending on health care has consistently lagged behind many countries compared to its size, which is why there is hardly a doctor for every 1,000 Indians and specialists are often a tenth of what is needed. These gaps have compounded the phenomenon of young Indians seeking affordable, quality, health care education in other countries. But only private establishments starting medical schools, without the necessary training and long-term commitment to provide postgraduate education, could lead to a repeat of the post-dotcom boom of engineering failure: engineering colleges without adequately trained faculty or infrastructure. A large part which produces students who require further skill up-gradation to be employable. Instead the government should simplify procedures for setting up medical colleges, spend more on infrastructure and provide incentives for the development of the health care ecosystem in rural areas. While this is not a quick fix, over time it may facilitate the growth of private and public medical colleges which can prevent the outflow of students aspiring to become doctors. Private investment in medical education by itself will not be enough.