Mandi Medical College gets MCI nod to admit 100 MBBS students

Shimla: The Medical Council of India’s (MCI), Executive Council has finally given its consent to the admission of the first batch of 100 MBBS students at the Lal Bahadur Government Medical College, Ner Chowk, Mandi, and renewal of the Letter of permission (LOP) for admission of second batch of MBBS at Dr YS Parmar Government Medical College at Nahan for the 2017-18 session.

However, it is also reported that the Pt Jawahar Lal Medical College at Chamba’s letter of Permission is still to come, as deficiencies in the faculty still persist.

In two separate letters, that the MCI shot off to the Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, it has informed the authority of its the decision, recommending opening of Lal Bahadur Shashtri Medical College, a new medical college at Mandi, under section 10(A) of the MCI Act 1956 and issue of LOP for admission of first batch of 100 MBBS students from 2017-18 session.

The apex education regulator has also recommended the renewal of the “Letter of Permission for the second batch of 100 MBBS students at Dr. YS Parmar Medical College Nahan. However , the government’s consent on permissions will only come after the Oversight Committee gives its consent on the MCI decisions. This decision has been taken after going through the compliance reports and undertaking submitted by Principal Secretary(Health), Himachal Government.

Since the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College at Chamba after the MCI inspection has still not done away with the deficiencies pointed out by the Council, despite the submission of the compliance report, the future of the college continues to remain uncertain.

The report submitted by the MCI teams after inspecting three colleges in December 2016, had pointed out glaring deficiencies in infrastructure and faculty and starting of admission from 2017-28 seemed doubtful. However, after submission of the compliance report, a re-inspection was held last week, at the initiative taken by the Union Health Minister, JP Nadda. The re-inspection had to be done before April 30 and in case the deadline was not met with, the entire exercise would have been rendered futile.

In the case of Dr. YS Pamar Medical College Nahan, which took in its Ist MBBS batch last year, glaring infrastructural deficiencies were also pointed at by the MCI; though, the Council after scrutinizing the compliance report approved renewal of LOP, subject to fulfillment of government undertakings.

Three medical colleges in Himachal were sanctioned by the union government in 2007 at the cost of Rs.190 crore each.Later the government took over the infrastructure developed for the ESIC Medical College at Ner Chowk in Mandi, build at a cost of Rs 650 crore. The total cost of the college later rose to 935 cr, inclusive of Rs. 285 crore, as interest.

The state government agreed to pay principal amount in 10 installments, however the interest was waived off in mutual agreement with the union government and the college handed over to the state.

Not much progress has taken place with regards to Hamirpur Medical College, as the land chosen for the project comes under forest land.. The clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest has been granted and a formal communiqué in this regards awaited, informed Director, Medical Education, Anil Chauhan, reports Tribune.