The state government aims at doubling the number of medical seats by the year 2022 and reducing the doctor-patient ratio by half.The Medical Council of India (MCI) has approved two medical colleges, Nutan Medical College and Research Centre, Visnagar and Dharmsinh Desai Institute of Medical College Nadiad, with 150 seats each. This has resulted in an increase in the total number of medical seats in Gujarat for 2019-20 admissions to 4,450 seats, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said in a press release on Friday.
The MCI approval process for another two greenfield medical colleges at Amreli and Ahmedabad are also underway, Patel said in the release. “The inspection process is completed. This will further add another 300 seats soon,” the statement said.
Both self-financed colleges run by trusts had been set up as greenfield medical colleges under the state government’s health policy of 2016. While Dharmsinh Desai Institute received MCI approval last week, Nutan Medical College received the nod Friday. The process had been on for a year.
With this, the deputy chief miniser said that two medical colleges with 300-bed capacity each would now be available to the public. According to MCI rules, it is mandatory for any medical college seeking its approval to have a 300-bed facility hospital.
The fees for these two self-financed colleges have not been decided yet. “The fees will be decided by the Fee Regulatory Committee, which is headed by a retired high court judge, once the colleges apply for it,”deputy director of medical education Dr Raghav Dixit said.
Under the new health policy, the state government offers greenfield medical colleges annual financial assistance of Rs 15 lakh per MBBS student for five years. Greenfield medical college hospitals in remote areas would also be given substantial financial assistance according to the policy.
The state government aims at doubling the number of medical seats by the year 2022 and reducing the doctor-patient ratio by half.
