Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Aug 19: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved an increase in the number of seats for the MD Psychiatry in the Post-Graduate Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar for the academic year 2022-23.
The existing capacity was 8 while the NMC’s Medical Assessment & Rating Board (MARB) has approved 4 more MD Psychiatry, taking the capacity to 12 seats, set to improve the academics of the Department of Psychiatry further.
The communication which has been issued by the NMC stated that the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) reviewed the Assessor’s Report dated 16.07.2022 regarding faculty, their experience, publication, and other teaching facilities including infrastructure available at Government Medical College, Srinagar under Kashmir University, in J&K for an increase of seats in MD (Psychiatry).
In this regard, the MARB has decided to approve 4 seats, from 8 to now 12 in MD (Psychiatry) while the institution will have to produce an undertaking/ essential document for issuance of a Letter of Permission for an increase of seats for the academic year 2022-23.
“The applicant should provide all infrastructural facilities in terms of teaching and non-teaching staff, buildings, equipment, and hospital facilities as per National Medical Commission norms,” the communication available with Excelsior read.
As per the letter, no student should be admitted to the above courses till the formal permission of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB), while it noted that the Medical Colleges/ institutions will provide an undertaking to implement the decision regarding payment of stipend to the PG students similar to PG students of Govt. Medical Colleges in their State.
“The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) reserves the right to withdraw/cancel/revoke the Letter of Intent/ Letter of Permission if it comes to the notice that the permission has been obtained from the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) by misrepresentation of fact or fraud.”
Further, it said that the action to grant formal permission of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) for the increase in intake/starting of the said course at your college will be initiated on receipt of an appropriate bank guarantee, if applicable and an undertaking/ compliance letter fulfilling the conditions enumerated above. “The acceptance letter may be sent within one week from the date of issue of this letter.”
It is to be noted here that the PG Department of Psychiatry of GMC, Srinagar runs a full-fledged hospital for psychiatry care at the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Kashmir at Badamwari Rainawari and a 30 bedded hospital of Community General Hospital Unit inside the premises of SMHS Hospital with more than 80 mental health professionals.
Pertinent to mention here that the department of Psychiatry is the only tertiary care referral Hospital in the Valley for mental health which caters to the healthcare needs of the majority of the population of Kashmir, Ladakh, and adjoining areas of Jammu.
The hospital has also been upgraded to the Centre of Excellence under NMHP SCHEME-A and is considered one of the best psychiatry facilities in the country because of its contributions to research and the service to mental health while has also been acknowledged by the Supreme Court-monitored Committee and NHRC in their various reports.
The officials said that the department is an MCI-recognized Research Institute and provides Post Graduate courses in Psychiatry with an annual intake capacity of 8 MD students which is now increased to 12 and 8 M Phil, clinical psychology.
The department, at the same time, provides the best learning and teaching atmosphere for students with exposure to areas of child psychiatry, de-addiction, consultation-liaison psychiatry, long-term psychiatric care, general hospital psychiatry besides acute care in mental health.
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