New Delhi, Jan 15 (ANI): Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday called upon states to expedite reforms in medical education sector.

Addressing the two days state Health Secretaries’ meeting, here, Azad said Health Ministry and Medical Council of India (MCI) has recently amended Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations wherein the teacher student ratio has been revised from 1:1 to 1:2.

“The MCI Regulations were amended in order to enable the Medical Colleges to increase seats in Postgraduate Medical courses,” he said.

The Health Ministry and the MCI have requested all the State Governments to instruct the Government Medical Colleges in their States to send the information with regard to availability of teaching faculty.

“I would request all the State Governments to send the details of teaching faculty in Government Medical Colleges in their respective States at the earliest, so that the same can be considered for increase of Postgraduate seats in the light of amended PG Regulations”, Azad said.

On the same front Azad informed that the basic formalities of introducing a three and a half year course in bachelor degree in Medicine and Surgery is in place.

“These doctors will work in rural areas and district hospitals with specified bed capacities can be utilized as medical schools for these courses,” he said.

Azad said the MCI is holding a meeting with Vice Chancellors in the first week of February 2010 to fine tune the modalities.

In his address Azad emphasized need to augment efforts in the areas of reproductive and child health, vector borne diseases, leprosy elimination and non-communicable diseases.

He informed that he has asked the Health Ministry to develop a system for tracking pregnant mother and children to ascertain the status of ante-natal and post-natal care and institution delivery and immunization of the children. (ANI)