New Delhi, December 20: Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Saturday said that the government spends ₹30–35 lakh on every MBBS student and urged new doctors to work for society.

Addressing the 21st annual convocation ceremony of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, the minister highlighted the significant progress made in India’s healthcare and medical education sectors over the past decade.

He said that as the government spends ₹30–35 lakh on each MBBS student, graduates should actively contribute to education and research and shoulder greater responsibilities towards society.

The Health Minister said, “From having only one AIIMS at the end of the last century, India today has 23 AIIMS institutions across the country, reflecting the government’s commitment to expanding quality healthcare and medical training in every region.”

He further stated that over the last 11 years, the number of medical colleges has increased from 387 to 819. Similarly, undergraduate medical seats have increased from 51,000 to 1,19,000, while postgraduate seats have risen from 31,000 to 80,000.

Nadda added that by 2029, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an additional 75,000 undergraduate and postgraduate seats will be added, of which more than 23,000 seats have already been added in one year.

He highlighted that at present, more than 1.82 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are operational across the country, providing comprehensive primary healthcare services.

He also said that more than 62 crore people—over 40 per cent of India’s population—are being provided health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat–PMJAY scheme, the world’s largest health coverage programme.

The Union Minister congratulated the graduating students and praised KGMU for its contribution to advancing medical science education and patient care in India.