Punjab set to lose 400 MBBS seats

Faridkot, Colleges in the region are set to lose 400 MBBS seats this year. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has recommended to the Central Government not to renew permission to four medical colleges in Punjab and Chandigarh for admitting new MBBS students during the forthcoming academic session (2015-16).
Citing deficiencies at Chintpurni Medical College and Hospital, Gurdaspur, and the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Jalandhar, the MCI has recommended against renewing the permission for taking admissions for 150 MBBS seats each in these colleges.
On the basis of assessors’ report, the MCI, during a meeting on January 13, 2015, observed that both these colleges did not meet the requirements as per the minimum standard regulation.
The MCI has also recommended to the Central Government not to allow increased intake of 50 MBBS students each at Government Medical College, Patiala, and Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh. The MCI said both these government colleges also did not fulfil various requirements for allowing them extra intake of students.
There is, however, a little cheer for minority students. The MCI has approved the increased intake of 50 students at Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, for this year. The intake capacity of this college has now gone up from 100 to 150 MBBS students.
While the Chandigarh medical college was planning to increase its intake from 50 to 100 students, the Patiala College was to increase its intake from 150 to 200 MBBS students. The MCI move has come as a jolt for students hoping to get admission to these colleges.
Around two months have passed since the MCI made these recommendations to the Central Government. Confusion prevails among students as there is no communication from the Central Government to the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) that will conduct the pre-medical entrance test for all MBBS seats in all medical colleges of the state on May 17.
In absence of any communication from the Central Government, the BFUHS is not yet clear about the total available MBBS seats in Punjab and the university has not got the prospectus for the PMET-2015 published.
Dr Raj Bahadur, Vice-Chancellor, BFUHS, said the MCI and Central Government instructions and recommendations were binding on them and they would follow these, whenever received.
Kirron Kher seeks Centre’s intervention
The BJP’s Lok Sabha Member from Chandigarh, Kirron Kher, on Wednesday demanded two years of mandatory rural posting for MBBS doctors. Speaking in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour, she pointed out that there were only six doctors for every 10,000 people.
“This availability is three per 10,000 in rural areas. There is also an acute shortage of nurses, paramed staff and other healthcare professionals,” she said. She drew the attention of the Health Ministry to fears that the MCI could again reduce the number of seats in medical colleges in Chandigarh because of “gaps” in infrastructure.
MP speaks
At a time when we need more doctors, there are apprehensions that the MCI may again cut the number of medical seats. Former Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had intervened in the matter. We hope for a similar intervention now.
Kirron Kher, MP Chandigarh