Last Updated on June 30, 2026 4:03 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
VINIT WAHI / NEW DELHI
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda emphasized today that the central government is giving equal weight to upgrading healthcare infrastructure and nurturing skilled medical professionals across the country.
Speaking at the 10th Convocation of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi, Mr. Nadda praised premier institutions like ILBS for leading the transformation of the nation’s health sector. He stated that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the government is strictly focused on a dual approach: building world-class infrastructure while expanding human resources in medicine.
Tracing the history of medical education expansion, the Minister pointed out that India had only a single AIIMS facility until the close of the 20th century. While six new AIIMS were initiated under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the current administration has rapidly scaled the network nationwide. Highlighting the growth since 2014, Mr. Nadda revealed that the number of medical colleges has more than doubled—jumping from 387 to 818—while undergraduate medical seats have surged from roughly 50,000 to over 1,20,000.
Addressing the graduating batch, the Minister noted that an ILBS degree comes with both immense pride and deep responsibility. He urged the new doctors to approach patient care with compassion, maintain impeccable professional ethics, and dedicate their careers to reinforcing India’s medical system.