MBBS aspirants in the state will lose out on about 800 seats in the coming academic year (2012-13) thanks to the negligence of the state government in submitting a compliance report to the Medical Council of India to secure additional seats.Unless the state government acts fast, the state will lose out on 800 MBBS seats as it will be difficult to create the necessary infrastructure and facilities by the end of March, when the MCI is scheduled to inspect medical colleges to approve the additional seats.
At present, there is an acute shortage of MBBS seats in the state. Nearly 4,500 MBBS seats are available in 14 government and 23 private medical colleges in the state, while over 70,000 students qualify the Eamcet medical entrance tests every year and vie for MBBS seats.

The Centre is willing to allot funds to the state government to improve the infrastructure in seven existing old state medical colleges to secure additional seats, but there has been no initiative from the state government so far.

The Centre had even released `60 crore for the purpose in October last year. However, the medical colleges failed to utilise these funds to develop the required infrastructure and appoint faculty to comply with the MCI norms in order to secure additional seats, since the state government failed to release its share of 25 per cent, amounting to `15 crore. After repeated reminders from the Centre, the state government issued orders in January to release its share of the funds.

However, the orders remained only on paper and the funds are yet to reach the medical colleges. The Union health ministry has agreed to increase the number of seats in seven old government colleges if the state government provides the necessary infrastructure and facilities to meet the stipulated norms of the MCI to increase the number of seats.

In addition, the plan to add 500 MBBS seats to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Srikakulam, Adilabad, Ongole and Kadapa, are also in jeopardy, with the government failing to provide the necessary infrastructure and faculty for the purpose. The silver lining, however, may be an addition of 300 MBBS seats in private colleges, if the MCI approves three new colleges this year. However, students have to shell out huge amounts in fees.