Supreme Court Directs Central Government To Address Vacant Medical Seats

The Supreme Court emphasized that medical seats should not remain vacant, especially in the wake of the country’s growing shortage of doctors. Justices BR Gavai and KV Vishwanathan stressed that medical colleges should not leave any seats unfilled.

The court also called on the Central Government to hold a meeting with relevant stakeholders, including state representatives, to resolve the issue.

Court’s Directives And Committee’s Recommendations

In response to the issue raised by the court, the Central Government lawyer informed the bench that a committee had been constituted to examine the matter. The committee, led by the Director General of Health Services, includes representatives from the states and private medical colleges.

The lawyer added that the committee had provided its recommendations. However, the Supreme Court pointed out that a concrete proposal should be prepared after consultations with all concerned parties.

The court directed the Central Government to convene a meeting with the stakeholders and to implement a practical proposal within the next three months.

Supreme Court Raises Concerns

This issue first surfaced in April 2023, when the Supreme Court raised concerns over the significant number of vacant super speciality seats in medical colleges.

At the time, the court expressed regret over the 1,003 unfilled super speciality seats, stating that while the country faces a shortage of doctors, such valuable seats cannot be allowed to remain empty.

Moreover, the court has scheduled the next hearing for April 2025. In the meantime, it has asked the government to make progress on filling these vacancies and to present a plan to ensure that medical seats are utilized effectively.

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