Four new govt medical colleges in offing

Shared by Prof. Chitta Baral
Times of India, Nov 19, 2012
BHUBANESWAR: In good tidings for aspiring medical students, Odisha is all set to have four new government medical colleges, reducing the competition for admission into MBBS to some extent. 

In a new experiment, the Union government is planning to open over 60 medical colleges across the country in partnership with the state governments during the 12th five year plan period (2012-2017). The Union government would fund 75% of the cost while the respective states will bear the rest 25%. 

Sources said the Centre has responded favourably to a proposal of the Odisha government to open four colleges in the state. A senior state government functionary said the Centre has already given its on-principle nod to the proposal. The medical colleges would have 100MBBS seats each to begin with, he said. 

Confirming the state's move, health secretary Pradipta Kumar Mahapatra told TOI, "We have proposed to convert four district headquarters hospitals into medical colleges under the new plan. We are hopeful the plan will materialize." Mahapatra said the government will select the four district hospitals in due course of time. 

Government sources said availability of MBBS seats will substantially increase from next academic year irrespective of the fate of the proposed four new colleges. The government is planning to add 100 MBBS seats in SCB Medical College from 2013-14. The government has already sought the permission of the Medical Council of India for the hike. 

At present, there are 500 MBBS seats in government sector in the state. These include 150 MBBS seats each in the three state-government run colleges: SCB, VSS Medical College and MKCG Medical College and 50 MBBS seats in the Union government-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). 

After increasing the seats in SCB to 250 from next academic year, the state is also planning similar increase in seats in the two other colleges in subsequent years. Similarly, the Union government has announced to increase the MBBS seats in AIIMS to 100. 

In private sector, there are 400 MBBS seats at present, 100 each in the four private medical colleges including three in Bhubaneswar and one in Rourkela. The private sector seats are likely to go up by another 100 from next year when an upcoming private medical college at Jaring in Kalahandi district starts admission. 

The Centre has responded favourably to a proposal of the Odisha government to open four colleges in the state. The medical colleges would have 100 MBBS seats each to begin with, officials said