Guwahati: The Assam health department has geared up to operationalize three medical colleges, the highest to be opened in a year in the state’s medical history, as the National Medical Commission (NMC) team is set to arrive in the state for the physical verification of the Nalbari, Kokrajhar and Nagaon medical colleges in January-February.
Speaking to TOI, Assam director of medical education, Prof. Anup Kumar Barman, on Thursday said that the health department has completed the appointments of senior faculties in the medical colleges and the joining process is on. Of the 88 faculty members, required as per norm in the first year of a medical college becoming operationalized, he said the state medical and health recruitment board has also approved of the names of the junior faculties to be appointed at the entry level.
“We are hopeful that junior faculties will get the appointment before Magh Bihu in mid-January. The senior faculties have been promoted from other existing medical colleges of the state,” said Barman.
“The faculty members are adequately placed. In the first year, minimum six professors are needed to be appointed in each of the medical colleges, but we have more than the requisite numbers,” he added.
Health officials said the NMC team’s visit which may start from January will be crucial because based on this visit and subsequent recommendation for compliance, if any, the three medical colleges are set to be operational.
Besides serving patients from three different parts of the state, west, central and lower Assam, the upcoming medical colleges are also going to be milestones in achieving the state government’s goal of producing 2,000 doctors every year by 2030 from at least 24 medical colleges planned across the state.
The existing nine medical colleges of Assam, all under the government sector, have an intake capacity of 1,200 in MBBS. With 100 seats each, the three new medical colleges, when operational, will take the number of MBBS seats to 1,500.
The Union government has been instrumental in building three new medical colleges, with a Rs 292-crore central grant for Kokrajhar medical college, Rs 190 crore for Nalbari medical college and Rs 170 crore for Nagaon medical college. An estimated expenditure of Rs 500 to Rs 600 crore is needed to complete a medical college, a senior health department official said.
Assam health minister Keshab Mahanta on Wednesday reviewed the status of the three newest medical colleges in the state.
Speaking to TOI, Assam director of medical education, Prof. Anup Kumar Barman, on Thursday said that the health department has completed the appointments of senior faculties in the medical colleges and the joining process is on. Of the 88 faculty members, required as per norm in the first year of a medical college becoming operationalized, he said the state medical and health recruitment board has also approved of the names of the junior faculties to be appointed at the entry level.
“We are hopeful that junior faculties will get the appointment before Magh Bihu in mid-January. The senior faculties have been promoted from other existing medical colleges of the state,” said Barman.
“The faculty members are adequately placed. In the first year, minimum six professors are needed to be appointed in each of the medical colleges, but we have more than the requisite numbers,” he added.
Health officials said the NMC team’s visit which may start from January will be crucial because based on this visit and subsequent recommendation for compliance, if any, the three medical colleges are set to be operational.
Besides serving patients from three different parts of the state, west, central and lower Assam, the upcoming medical colleges are also going to be milestones in achieving the state government’s goal of producing 2,000 doctors every year by 2030 from at least 24 medical colleges planned across the state.
The existing nine medical colleges of Assam, all under the government sector, have an intake capacity of 1,200 in MBBS. With 100 seats each, the three new medical colleges, when operational, will take the number of MBBS seats to 1,500.
The Union government has been instrumental in building three new medical colleges, with a Rs 292-crore central grant for Kokrajhar medical college, Rs 190 crore for Nalbari medical college and Rs 170 crore for Nagaon medical college. An estimated expenditure of Rs 500 to Rs 600 crore is needed to complete a medical college, a senior health department official said.
Assam health minister Keshab Mahanta on Wednesday reviewed the status of the three newest medical colleges in the state.
