Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Tuesday said the commercialisation of medical education should be warded off and the growth of substandard medical colleges should be checked.
Speaking at the Silver Jubilee Convocation of the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University here, she said: "There is no greater priority for the university than to produce doctors who possess high order professional skills and are imbued with a sense of dedication and public service. The menace posed by corrosive commercialisation of medical education has to be warded off and efforts should be made to ensure maintenance of standards and check the growth of substandard medical colleges."
She said that due to the persistent efforts of her government, the state was able to secure 410 additional MBBS seats in government medical colleges in the current academic year.
With this, the total seats in government medical colleges in the state have increased 410 seats to 2,555 this year from 2,145 last year, she added.
"I have stood rock firm in protecting the rights of my state and the interests of the students, in opposing the introduction of the Common National Entrance cum Eligibility Test which was eventually decided in the Supreme Court in favour of our government's consistent stand," Jayalalithaa said.
According to her, the government gives highest priority to people's health. The budget for health was increased 67 percent this year to Rs.6,511 crore.