Supreme Court sets aside MCI Disapproval: Jharkhand gets approval for 300 more MBBS seats

Ranchi: Setting aside the Medical Council of India (MCI) disapproval, the Supreme Court (SC) directed the state government to begin the functioning of 3 medical colleges with 300 MBBS seats each in Palamu, Hazaribagh and Dumka for the current academic session.

The court also directed the state to fix the deficiencies highlighted by the MCI within the stipulated time. This is for the first time that three medical colleges in the country simultaneously became functional. With this, 300 more MBBS seats have been added to the state. Earlier the strength was 280. However, with the recent SC permission, the total number of medical seats in the state has increased to 580.

The development came after the MCI decision was challenged by the state government in the apex court. The MCI had conducted an inspection of these MBBS colleges in May 2019. After inspection, MCI refused to grant permission for the functioning of the medical colleges citing certain deficiencies.

The apex court has now directed the government to file an undertaking for fixing the deficiencies pointed out by the MCI in three months.

The foundation stone of the MBBS college was laid by Prime Minister in the year 2017. The new Medical colleges are built at a cost of Rs 885 crore. Of these, the central government has given Rs 317 crore. Each medical college campus is made disabled-friendly. The modern medical facilities will benefit 1.5 crore people of 11 districts of the Jharkhand state.

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Presently, the health department has submitted to the Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (JCECE) to conduct counselling of the candidates for admission in all three MBBS colleges.

It is learnt that within hours of getting approval from the Supreme Court, the hospital at Hazaribagh Medical College (HMCH) started rendering health service to the patients. 30 senior residents and junior residents for attending the Out-Patients Department (OPD) were deployed in the hospital. Moreover, all wards will reportedly be streamlined and professors of faculties would be allocated different wings to run the hospital within seven days.

Read Also: Jharkhand to get three medical colleges: PM to inaugurate Hazaribagh Medical College on Feb 17

"Permission to these new medical colleges of Jharkhand would not only benefit students, patients of state but also the country, which is reeling under shortage of doctors, " Srivastava told HT.