NMC advocates PPP model to transform medical education

Vijayawada: Placing the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model at the centre of its reform agenda, the National Medical Commission (NMC) is reshaping medical education to make it affordable, accessible and globally competitive, NMC chairman Dr Abhijit Chandrakant Sheth said on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference at Dr NTR University of Health Sciences here, Dr Sheth said the PPP model has emerged as a key instrument in expanding medical education infrastructure without compromising public interest.

He noted that the commission has removed the earlier restriction that allowed only non-profit Section 8 companies to establish medical colleges. Under the revised norms, both non-profit institutions and for-profit corporate entities can now set up medical colleges through the PPP route.

Dr Sheth said the model, which has already proven successful in Gujarat, enables optimal utilisation of existing government resources while attracting private investment and expertise. Importantly, hospitals established under the PPP framework will continue to remain under government control, ensuring free or subsidised treatment for patients, he added.

Alongside the PPP-driven expansion, the NMC is introducing reforms aligned with changing times to improve the quality and affordability of medical education. The commission aims to make medical education accessible to the common people while ensuring that it meets international standards, Dr Sheth said.

He said steps are being taken to simplify the accreditation process for medical colleges and to prevent delays in admissions and counselling. To strengthen academic rigour, clinical research will be made mandatory, and new PhD, specialty and sub-specialty courses will be introduced. Medical curricula will also integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital healthcare and other advanced technologies.

Emphasising a holistic approach, Dr Sheth said students would be trained not only in curative medicine but also in preventive healthcare and mental health. He added that the NMC has identified the need for policy changes and amendments with a renewed focus on disease prevention and mental well-being, both for students and the wider public.

Dr NTR University of Health Sciences vice-chancellor Dr P Chandrasekhar said postgraduate seats currently account for only 40 per cent of undergraduate seats and efforts are underway to increase them to parity. He announced the introduction of ‘family medicine’ to address the shortage of doctors in taluk-level and 50–100 bed hospitals, creating about 500 new seats. He also announced annual grants of ₹50 lakh for research and ₹25 lakh for sports development in government medical colleges.