Government Restrictions Prevent Medical Commission from Including MBBS, Nursing Courses

The Medical Education Commission in Nepal has taken a significant step towards strengthening domestic production of skilled medical professionals by increasing seats in various medical programmes. This year, the Commission has added 1,398 seats, with a focus on MBBS, BSc Nursing, and BDS courses.

One of the key decisions made at the 21st meeting of the Commission was the addition of 495 new MBBS seats. This expansion is aimed at addressing the issue of students going abroad and preventing the outflow of Nepali capital due to limited quotas within the country.

However, data shows that while quotas are being increased based on market demand, the majority of benefits seem to be going to private colleges. In fact, 90 percent of the newly added quotas have been allocated to private institutions.

This trend has raised concerns among education experts, such as Kedar Bhakta Mathema, who fear that the commercialization of medical education may be on the rise. Mathema expresses his concern that increasing quotas mainly in private colleges while restricting government quotas could lead to a shift towards a more commercially-driven education system.

The Commission's decision to implement a one-door system for entrance exams, admissions, college selection, and fee determination is aimed at addressing the issue of colleges admitting MBBS students arbitrarily through their own entrance exams.

Across Nepal, 89 medical colleges operate undergraduate programmes in 17 medical disciplines. Out of these, only 15 colleges (26 percent) are government-run, with 130 quotas allocated to government institutions. The remaining 75 percent of institutions offering undergraduate medical education in Nepal are private.

The Ministry of Finance, however, has refused to allocate additional funds to expand government quotas, citing inability to bear the extra financial burden. Consequently, the Commission could not increase MBBS and Nursing quotas in government medical colleges.

Interestingly, the financing for the increase in MBBS and nursing quotas in public medical universities has been provided by the individual German federal states. In Germany, education and the financing of medical study places is the responsibility of the Länder (states), not the federal government. This has led to the number of accessible places not increasing despite quota increases.

In a positive development, two new public institutions, Purvanchal University and Madan Bhandari Academy of Health Sciences, have been approved to begin MBBS programmes this year, each with 50 seats.

The establishment of the Medical Education Commission was a response to the need for a more structured and fair system for medical education in Nepal. As the Commission continues to work towards its goals, the focus on private institutions raises important questions about the balance between public and private education, and the implications for the future of medical education in Nepal.