Medical students at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) would no longer have to suffer owing to the lack of facilities and infrastructure at the health cradle.

Officials at IGIMS said several new buildings would be constructed, including a medical college, an administrative building, a library, a boys’ hostel and a guest room.

These steps would also help the health hub meet Medical Council of India (MCI) norms. Sources said the chief minister would lay the foundation stone of the buildings on September 18.

IGIMS had faced problems owing to de-recognition of its 100-seat MBBS course. The MCI had denied further admission to the course in June this year citing infrastructure problem and faculty crunch.

It was after chief minister Nitish Kumar’s intervention, followed by an undertaking by chief secretary A.K. Sinha to the MCI, that IGIMS got permission to admit students.

IGIMS director Arun Kumar told The Telegraph on Sunday: “The semi-autonomous medical college’s infrastructure would be improved to increase the number of MBBS seats from 100 to 150. The total cost of the project would be around Rs 650 crore. In the first phase, a medical college building, an administrative building, a library, boys’ hostel and a guesthouse would be developed. In the second phase, a 350-bed hospital, an outpatient department, an indoor department, a playground, auditorium and quarters for faculty members would be built.”

IGIMS principal Uday Kumar said: “The college has few laboratories and lecture theatres owing to which students face problems. This problem would be solved after the first phase of construction.”

Rajeev Ranjan, a second-year student, said: “I would not be able to benefit much from the facilities even if the construction is completed within the stipulated time-frame. I am happy my juniors would not have to face problems like me. By the time they enter the college, the facilities would be ready.”

Ankit Kumar, another second-year student, said he had apprehensions over the first-phase work being completed within 18 months. “For the past two years, we are being told that the construction work of the medical college building and other facilities would start. Now, after two years, the foundation stone of the building and other facilities would be laid.”

In June, chief minister Nitish Kumar had written to the Union health and family welfare minister requesting him to reconsider MCI’s decision of denying IGIMS permission to admit students to its MBBS course this year.

The institution reportedly could not fulfil many of the MCI norms required to run a medical college, including girls’ and boys’ hostels, auditorium and laboratory facilities.

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