Going beyond MCI : Odisha writes to Oversight committee for medical college approval

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has sought intervention of the Supreme Court mandated Oversight Committee as the Medical Council of India (MCI) has not recommended Letter of Permission (LoP) to Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital for commencement of academic session.

"I am drawing your kind attention to gross injustice done to PRM Medical College and Hospital, Baripada by MCI for not recommending for issuance of LoP for commencement of 100 undergraduate intake seat from 2017-18 academic session despite fulfilment of all the mandates," Odisha Health and Family Welfare secretary P K Meherda wrote to Sekhar Kumar, the secretary of Oversight Committee.

The state government pointed out that it has applied to the MCI for LoP in June 2016 for two new medical colleges namely Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital (SLN MCH), Koraput and PRM MCH, Baripada under the centrally sponsored scheme "Establishment of New Medical Colleges, attached with existing District Headquarters Hospital/ referral hospitals.

A team from the MCI had visited the PRM MCH, Baripada on December 12 and SLN MCH, Koraput on December 28, 2016.

Though the SLN MCH at Koraput got the LoP, the MCI did not issue LoP for PRM MCH at Baripada despite the fact that both have similar infrastructures and faculty positions.

While seeking LoP for PRM MCH, Baripada, the state government in its letter mentioned that Mayurbhanj is a tribal dominated district with tribal population constituting 58.7 per cent of total population. The medical college in the area is, therefore, very much essential for overall health and socio-economic development of the people of the area, including those from the adjoining states of West Bengal and Jharkhand, Meherda said in the letter.

"It is therefore, our earnest request before the Oversight Committee to consider the justified claim for receipt of LoP by PRM MCH, Baripada in order to start the first batch admission of 100 UG students from the year 2017-18," the state government said.

Earlier, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also sought Union Health Minister JP Nadda's intervention.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan who was today in the state, said that he had already taken up the matter with Nadda.