Chhattisgarh: GMC Ambikapur gets MCI approval

Chhattisgarh: GMC Ambikapur will now be functional in in Surguja district in North Chhattisgarh after it has received approval from MCI. The council has granted permission to the medical college to provide admission for 100 seats. The medical institute in the tribal region has also been granted approval by the health ministry.

Ambikapur medical college dean Dr S L Adile told TOI that it's a matter of great relief that the tribal dominated region got approval for a medical college.

Dr Adile in addition implied that the new medical college will be attached to a district hospital. This hospital has a capacity of 300 beds after being set up three years back. Only recently, there has been an addition of 110 beds. It has been some time now that the state government was seeking permission open a GMC in Surguja. However, it received no permission due to noted deficiencies in infrastructure and and lack of medical equipment.

A medical college is awaiting to be established in Ambikapur — the headquarters of Sarguja Revenue Division in the near future, said Chief Minister Raman Singh to Pioneer (2013 newspaper article) while chairing a meeting of Sarguja and North Region Tribal Development Authority here reviewed the steps being taken for opening of the medical college in the Ambikapur district.

A recent report in Dainik Bhaskar also implied that for seeking an approval for the new medical college there were doctors sent from Raipur and Bilaspur. It was an exercise reportedly done to comprehend how many vacant posts are there in new medical college at Ambikapur, and doctors exceeding requirements in medical college hospitals in Raipur and Bilasful can join GMC Ambikapur.

Only recently it was reported the state healthcare infrastructure is poor, due to which many patients in the tribal region like Ambikapur, Sarguja have to travel long distances for treatment. The state is also reported to be witnessing an increase of 20% per unit population in State of cancer cases. The patients are required to travel to Raipur or Bhilainagar, where doctors have many patients to attend to.