NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over the inadequate number of medical seats in the country, President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday said various regulatory impediments that had prevented the growth would have to be overcome.

Mr Kovind The President was addressing the 45th convocation of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Mr Kovind, who talked at length about the gaps that remain between a good healthcare system and the population of the country, said in the absence of the stipulated number of doctors, the workload on the existing ones was high and that this situation needed to be addressed on a priority.

“I would say unrealistically high,” he continued, referring to the pressure on a doctor. “I recognise that I am placing a big responsibility on the shoulders of our doctors. I acknowledge that our doctors need help. They need help in the form of more colleagues and this is where we need a new regulatory system to enhance the availability of doctors in our society,” he added.

Pointing out that the medical colleges, run by the government or private entities, had 67,000 undergraduate seats and 31,000 PG seats, the President said, “In a country of 1.3 billion people, this is highly inadequate. The country has to overcome the regulatory bottlenecks that prevent the growth of medical education.”