Neeraj Rohmetra
Jammu, Feb 14: In a major initiative aimed at improving health infrastructure in the State, Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad has sanctioned proposal to set up four new Medical Colleges in the State with Central assistance and up gradation of existing district hospitals.
Besides, to strengthen the Cancer care facilities across the State, the Health Ministry has also sanctioned one State Cancer Institute (SCI) each for twin capitals – Jammu and Srinagar.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that Union Health Ministry has given its consent for establishing two Medical Colleges each in Jammu and Kashmir regions. “The new Medical Colleges will be established in Kathua, Doda, Anantnag and Baramulla and each college would have admission intake of 100 students, thereby taking fresh admission capacity to 400”, sources asserted.
Elaborating further on the landmark decision, sources said, “overall, the Health Ministry has cleared the proposal of setting up 58 new Medical Colleges in different States with Central assistance and up- gradation of district hospital and the move is aimed at creating 5,800 more MBBS seats”.
“While the funding pattern will be 75:25 under the special scheme, it will be 90:10 by Central and State Government respectively for special category States like Jammu and Kashmir and even for north-eastern States”, sources added.
“The total cost of establishment of each Medical College in the border State will be around Rs 189 crores. The establishment of 58 new Medical Colleges by upgrading existing district hospitals is being done in health deficient States, with intake capacity of 100 MBBS seats in each Medical College”, sources said adding, “the purpose is to establish Medical Colleges in States, where the number of doctors is very low and the disease burden is high. The step is also aimed at providing more doctors and increases the doctor-patient ratio, which is currently very low in these areas.”
“Four district hospitals of the State were preferred keeping in mind their existing infrastructure and bed strength. The district hospitals in the four locations have most of paraphernalia required for setting up of new Medical Colleges after their up gradation”, sources remarked adding, “the setting up the Health Ministry in achieving its objective of taking health services at the doorstep of people”.
Dwelling further sources said, “Rs 189 crore is only the cost of creating the infrastructure required for making the Medical College functional and more funds will be required to meet the running expenses on yearly basis”, adding, “as per the statistics with Ministry, it would take at least two years to make these Medical Colleges fully functional”.
Sources stated that the four new Medical Colleges would also help to reduce the pressure on existing Medical Colleges in the twin capital cities —- Srinagar and Jammu.
Referring to the State Cancer Institutes, sources emphasised, “the cost of setting up each institute in Jammu and Srinagar would be around Rs 120 crores and overall, the Ministry has sanctioned 20 institutes for the country. These funds would go only towards infrastructure and equipment costs and the State would have to bear recurring expenditures. The Institutes will have 100 beds each these have been sanctioned while giving preference to areas, where cancer diseases are more prevalent”.
Establishment of 58 new Medical Colleges would also help to create 5,800 more MBBS seats and the move is aimed to address the shortage of doctors across the country.
Earlier, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had also given its prior approval for setting up of 58 new colleges by up gradation of existing district hospitals in deficient States. As per the guidelines issued by the Union Health Ministry, the distance between the district or referral hospital will be within 10 Kms.
At present, there are a total of 381 Medical Colleges in the country with nearly 50,000 MBBS seats registered with the medical regulator – the Medical Council of India (MCI). The Central Assistance share for this Scheme of establishing new Colleges would be around Rs 8500 crores and the State/UTs share will be about 2500 crores.
It is pertinent to mention here that in May last year, after intervention of the Union Health Minister, the seats of two Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) of the State were increased to 150, taking total intake capacity to 300. The Minister was also instrumental in obtaining recognition for Indira Gandhi Government Dental College (IGGDC), Jammu from MCI.
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