Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 24: Formally setting the process of making five new Medical Colleges functional from upcoming academic session, the Government today ordered appointment of Nodal Officers in all five new Institutions. In the process, the Government also appointed Dr Ganshyam Dev Gupta, Head of Department (HoD) Radiology, Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu as new Principal of the GMC in place of Dr (Mrs) Shashi Gupta.
The Government has also ordered appointment of Nodal Officers for two State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) in the States-one each in Jammu and Srinagar.
The Government has asked the Nodal Officers to take charge of new Medical Colleges at Kathua, Doda, Rajouri, Anantnag and Baramulla immediately and initiate all steps to make them functional from the upcoming academic session in August-September this year, official sources said.
Dr Ganshyam Dev Gupta, Prof and HoD Radio-diagnosis GMC Jammu has been appointed as new Principal of the GMC Jammu in place of Dr (Mrs) Shashi Gupta in addition to his own duties, which means Dr Gupta would continue as Head of his Department.
The Order No. 230-HME of 2014 issued by Gazzanger Hussain, Commissioner/ Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department said Dr Shashi Gupta has been relieved of her duties of the additional charge of the Principal GMC Jammu, which had temporarily been assigned to her.
“To co-ordinate the activities relating various steps as may be necessary to set up the five newly approved Medical Colleges in the State and to liaise with various Central/State Government Departments/ organisations and statutory bodies, the Government has appointed faculty members of the GMC Jammu/Srinagar as Nodal Officers in addition to their own duties,” the Order titled “Establishment of new Government Medical Colleges and State Cancer Institutes in the State-appointment of Nodal Officers”-said.
The order said Dr Shashi Gupta, Prof and Head (Obst and Gynae), GMC Jammu has been appointed as Nodal Officer, Medical College, Kathua.
Dr Zahid Hussain Geelani, Prof and HoD Pharmacology in the GMC Jammu will be new Nodal Officer for the GMC Rajouri while Dr Bela Mahajan, Prof and HoD Microbiology in the GMC Jammu has been appointed as Nodal Officer of the GMC Doda.
Dr Kaiser Ahmed, Prof (Pediatrics), GMC Srinagar has been appointed as Nodal Officer, Medical College, Anantnag while Dr Javaid Chowdhary, Professor, GMC Srinagar would be Nodal Officer of GMC Baramulla. He would draw his salary against the available post of Professor in Medical College, Srinagar.
The Government has also appointed Dr Ashutosh Gupta, Prof and HoD Radiotherapy, GMC Jammu as Nodal Officer for State Cancer Institute (SCI), Jammu in addition to his own duties.
The SCI Jammu would be set up at the Super Specialty Hospital (SSH), Jammu with an estimated cost of Rs 120 crores. The same amount has been sanctioned for the SCI Srinagar. The Centre would bear all the expenses except for mandatory 10 per cent contribution from the State Government.
The SCI Srinagar would be set up at SKIMS Soura.
Dr Romesh Singh, Professor and HoD Priodontics, Dental College Jammu has been given additional charge of the college in addition to his own duties. The charge was earlier held by Dr Shashi Gupta.
Excelsior had today exclusively reported that the Government has set the process of making five new Medical Colleges, approved for Jammu and Kashmir by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in February this year, functional and would be appointing Nodal Officers there shortly.
The Government order said the Nodal Officers shall approach the concerned State University for grant of affiliation to the new Colleges.
Sources said after the appointments of Nodal Officers for five new Medical Colleges in Jammu and Kashmir, the Government would write to the Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE) to fill 100 Medical seats in every new GMC (totaling 500 seats) from the upcoming academic session in August-September this year.
The BOPEE has already set the process for filling up 450 Medical seats for the upcoming session and invited applications from the deserving candidates. Sources said the Government would write the BOPEE to increase number of Medical seats from 450 to 950 from the upcoming session as the State wanted to make all five new Medical Colleges functional from the current year itself.
The Government was likely to write to the BOPEE on increase in the seats after May 12, the last phase of election in the country though final phase of polls in the State would be over on May 7.
Sources said appointment of Nodal Officers for the new Medical Colleges didn’t violate the Model Code of Conduct of the Election Commission of India as the Colleges had been approved in February.
“The Government has decided to convert the existing District Hospitals in all five districts into the Medical Colleges and equip them with requisite infrastructure and faculty,” sources said,
As per the new guidelines of the Medical Council of India (MCI), the new Medical Colleges can be opened with 200 bedded hospitals. All five District Hospitals at Kathua, Doda, Rajouri, Anantnag and Baramulla had the capacity to raise their strength to 200 beds.
Another guideline of the MCI was that the new GMCs must have 100 kanals land. Sources said District Hospital Kathua has 104 kanals land while DH Doda has 70 kanals land. The Government would acquire 70 kanals land for it. DH Rajouri has 64 kanals land while it has adjacent land of Government quarters and some agriculture, which would take it to 100 kanals.
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