Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital. Telegraph picture

Muzaffarpur, Jan. 4: The Planning Commission of India (PCI) has considered upgrading Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) on the pattern of superspecialty hospital.

The commission has selected SKMCH to be upgraded under the 11th Five-Year Plan under the Prime Minister Health Security Scheme.

The commission has decided to provide Rs 122 crore boost for SKMCH to meet the health requirements of the ailing masses of the state.

The superintendent of SKMCH, G.K. Thakur, said: “PCI has incorporated SKMCH under the 11th Five-Year Plan to make it a superspecialty hospital on a par with the regional All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for the people of north Bihar. Later, Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital will deliver modern healthcare facilities for the people.”

Former Union minister and RJD MP from Vaishali, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, said: “The Centre has made up its mind to facelift SKMCH by revamping it on the pattern of AIIMS. PCI has approved the plan to improve SKMCH and it only needs the approval of the Union cabinet.”

Singh said: “Very soon the ailing people of north Bihar who went to metropolitan cities for treatment will get it here.”

Thakur said: “I have requested the state government to fill up the vacancies of doctors before the implementation of the proposed plan of PCI. The Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital is facing acute dearth of doctors in clinical and non-clinical sides like microbiology, pharmacology, pathology, medicine, ENT, orthopaedic and surgery. In view of the PCI’s plan to improve SKMCH, the state health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey with the mandarins of the health department is scheduled to review the functioning of the college and hospital on January 5.”

Thakur said: “The MCI has started to conduct PG courses from November last year. The courses include masters in medicine, surgery, anatomy, pathology, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, radiology, community medicine, gynaecology and skin diseases. Now, Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital is in a fix to take admissions for the PG courses in the wake of lack of infrastructure and shortage of doctors. The MCI has allotted 26 seats of PG courses to the SKMCH.”

He said: “The attention of the minister would be drawn towards the prevailing lacunae and deficiencies of the SKMCH during the review meeting.”