Bihar shocker: 250 MBBS seats at three medical colleges under MCI threat

Bihar: The state medical education sector seems to be cracking under the pressure of following MCI norms. After the news of PG degree courses dropped in 3 medical colleges recently in the state, the state is now facing the threat of losing 250 MBBS seats in three medical colleges.

MCI has decided to forward its assessment report (after inspection) of 100 seats each at GMC’s in Bettiah and Nalanda, and 50 of 100 seats offered at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital, Gaya. The catch is removing the deficiencies by May 28 or suffer the loss.

Bihar currently has around 900 MBBS seats. It is only after the council has conducted two rounds of inspection that they noted the deficiencies have still not been removed in the said colleges.

Medical dialogues team had also reported earlier that 160 MBBS seats in government medical colleges and another 100 seats in a private medical college in the state will not be providing admissions this year.

The MCI had earlier recommended the Centre that it should not renew its permission for admission of the fourth batch of MBBS students against the increased intake from 50 to 100 at ANMMCH Gaya, SKMCH Muzaffarpur and JLNMCH Bhagalpur. For DMCH Darbhanga, the MCI recommended that the permission for intake from 90 to 100 should not be renewed.

Now, the good news amid the brewing crisis is that the PMCH and NMCH in Patna, DMCH, Darbhanga, SKMCH, Muzaffarpur and JLNMCH, Bhagalpur have received positive remarks from the council to start the 2016-17 session.

Noted problems

MCI noted a shortage of faculty and senior residents in GMC Gaya; 27.27% and 17.24%, respectively. However, heath department sources implied that faculty members have been recruited, but are yet to join the college. The department is now likely to present the upgraded list to the Centre.

MCI also implied on the matter regarding operation theatre (OT) in ANMMCH that Infusion pump is unavailable and the OT tables were below the council’s norm. There are not enough teaching beds and lacunae in ICU. The lab facilities are not adequate and the blood bank of the medical college is not equipped with a separate machine.

In GMC Bettiah, the MCI noted faculty and residents shortage. The health department implied that 17 recruitments have been done, and the faculty shortage now stands at 21%. The medical college is attached to Bettiah sadar hospital, where MCI again found deficiencies in ICU and OT.

At Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College in Nalanda, reported shortage is 31.25% in faculty and 25.42% in residents. Health department confirms that the shortage now stands at 18% in faculty. This medical college is also attached to Sadar hospital and infrastructure report is positive here.

The MCI usually accepts 10-15% faculty shortage. State health department spokesperson and deputy secretary Anil Kumar said to TOI that, "We have fulfilled the faculty requirements to the MCI's satisfaction. Promotions of senior faculty, pending for long, have also been cleared. Hope, all our colleges will get the Centre's nod."

Bihar government is yet to take a call on National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET). "We have yet not received any communication from the central government. Whether the merit list is to be prepared on the basis of NEET or state's examination will be decided after that," state health department spokesperson Anil Kumar said to TOI. Though the Bihar government has already conducted its entrance exam.