Why Medical Education is Costly in India

n this shifting landscape, a private medical college in the country has etched an unprecedented mark, setting the fees for a five-year MBBS course at a staggering Rs 1.2 crore.

Published on2024-02-01

While the global trend has seen a decline in the cost of medical education, a recent study reveals a contrasting surge in both India and China. In this shifting landscape, a private medical college in the country has etched an unprecedented mark, setting the fees for a five-year MBBS course at a staggering Rs 1.2 crore. The financial facet of Indian medical education, once considered an expensive endeavour, has now taken an unexpected turn. The study is going to uncover the truth behind why MBBS is so expensive in India.

Cost of Obtaining an MBBS Degree from India

Indians have known the high prices of private medical educational institutions for a long time, ranging from Rs 30-35 lakh to more than Rs 50 lakh. This has set ablaze reactions that have spread through different segments of society, condemning individuals in disgust. In this regard, it transcends figures, revealing a more extensive dialogue on equality and health expenses for learning.

Getting into undergraduate programs, including the coveted MBBS program, is vital to this complex medical education dance in India. All of this depends on winning the difficult NEET exam that the national testing agency conducts.

Reasons why course fee is expensive

The stark reality of why MBBS course fees is so expensive in India can be considered as follows:

First, the number of available seats in government colleges falls far short of accommodating the sheer volume of successful candidates. The government, recognizing this challenge, has made strides to increase college medical seats. Over the past few years, the count has surged from 60,000 to 80,000, with a bold target set for 1,00,000 seats by the commencement of the 2022-23 academic session. Within this framework, approximately 42,000 seats find their home in government colleges, while the rest reside in private institutions.

The next challenge is the government has not done much to solve this problem. The Indian government allot between 2% and 3% of the nation’s GDP to health and infrastructural facilities. This would, for instance, entail setting up new medical colleges and providing more placements. It aims to make it possible for many people to join the medical profession so that the country can improve its health infrastructure and address the shortage of doctors in India.

Additionally, government colleges are another good option for studying medicine, with the costs of about Rs 5 lakh for the entire MBBS program. However, the lowest fee for the whole course in any private college surpasses seven crore rupees. This also implies inconsistencies in education costs.

Indeed, private medical schools are extremely expensive, mainly due to the required land. When starting a medical college in India, one ought to construct it on over twenty acres of land. This is an important consideration and a must for any entrepreneur willing to set up a medical institution.

The other reason for increased costs is the requirement for infrastructure and facilities. Starting a medical college requires the operation of a university and hospital at once. The students can have basic knowledge of what is involved in medicine. At the same time, the doctors learn crucial knowledge in the university and gain practical experience in the hospital. Although it takes lots of money to set up and manage a hospital with a connected university.

The bottom line

The basic infrastructure for a medical college includes labs, auditoriums, cafes, libraries, computer labs, arrangements of cadavers, and more. Additionally, running a hospital involves having many beds and managing departments like ophthalmology, dermatology, cardiology, microbiology, pharmacology, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and other medical science departments. This requires hiring staff and obtaining all the necessary equipment, including microscopes and tables to run its departments. All these reasons affect the minimum fees for MBBS in India in private college.

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