Medical PG seats could double by June 2013

There has been an 80% increase in the number of post-graduation medical seats in the last three years and it could to go up by 100% by June, Union minister for health and family welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

According to Azad, though India has seen a significant decline in maternal and infant mortality rates as well as total fertility rate in the last decade, there is still a long way to go when it comes to saving mother and child during and after pregnancy. "As part of the motherhood scheme started by the government in 2005-06, over 5 crore women have benefited. The government has also spent Rs 6,700 crore on pregnant women. As part of 'Janani Shishu Suraksha Yojana', over Rs 11 lakh crore have been spent whereas the government has set aside Rs 2,170 crore this year," he said adding that this scheme involves free diagnosis, medicines, consumables, food, Caesarean section and transport for pregnant women and sick infants.