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Patliputra Medical College and Hospital
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The state-run Patliputra Medical College and Hospital in Dhanbad has set the ball rolling for introduction of postgraduate courses by shooting off a letter to the Medical Council of India (MCI) earlier this week, requesting it to send a team for inspection. The letter has also urged the MCI to increase the number of seats in the existing undergraduate courses from 50 to 100.
The move comes in the wake of Vinoba Bhave University (VBU), to which the college is affiliated, issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) last week for starting the PG programmes.
Principal of PMCH Arun Kumar Chaudhary said VBU granted them permission to launch PG courses in 16 subjects — anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, preventive and social medicine, medicine, skin, paediatrics, surgery, orthopaedics, anaesthesia, radiology, opthalmology, ENT, gynaecology and obstetrics.
“We have written to the MCI and have enclosed a copy of the NOC issued by the university, essentiality certificate provided by the state government and a letter from the central government. I believe that the letter has already reached the MCI authorities. Though MCI is to yet to communicate with us, we are hopeful that the decision will be favourable,” Chaudhary said.
He added that the state and central governments had already coughed up more than Rs 11 crore for developing infrastructure and other facilities for launching the courses. While the state provided Rs 4.5 crore on March 26 this year, the Centre released Rs 6.5 crore in the second week of April.
A meeting of the heads of the departments was convened soon after the money came in and they were asked to prepare a detailed list of infrastructure and equipment required. Thereafter, the college forwarded the list to the state health and family welfare department in April on the basis of which an essentiality certificate was issued. Finally, the authorities approached VBU.
“We have adequate number of classrooms and other infrastructure. The fund of around Rs 11 crore will be spent on developing operating theatres as well as procuring equipment and instruments required for teaching PG. The inspection charges of the MCI — Rs 2 lakh for each of the 16 proposed departments — will also be paid from this sum,” the principal said.
Welcoming the development, state president of Indian Medical Association A.K. Singh said that the PG courses would help address the problem of scarcity of faculty members. He, however, requested the state government to ensure other facilities like appointing teachers.
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