The Hindu : National : Centre to ease norms for new medical colleges

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Wednesday, Jul 04, 2007
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Centre to ease norms for new medical colleges

Aarti Dhar

To help States with low health indicators

District hospitals to be upgraded
Azad for more trauma centres

SRINAGAR: The Centre intends to relax the norms for setting up medical colleges in States such as Jammu and Kashmir, having poor health indicators. This would help them produce more doctors and paramedical staff.

Speaking at a meeting to review the implementation of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) here on Tuesday, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said the Ministry proposed to amend the Medical Council of India (MCI) Act that would help in categorising the States into three types — North East, NRHM and general category.

Partnership

The District Hospitals in the NRHM States with more than 250 beds would be allowed to be upgraded to the status of medical colleges. Nursing colleges and training institutions for paramedical staff could also be attached to the district hospitals.

Public-private partnership would be encouraged for these projects for better efficiency and mutual benefit, the Minister said. The Centre would shortly bring in a law to make rural postings compulsory for fresh doctors.

The proposal was likely to be implemented from the next academic year, he said.

The Ministry also agreed to allocate Rs. 50 crore for improving the Lalla Ded Women’s Hospital at Srinagar and setting up better maternity facilities in the State as reducing the incidence of maternal mortality and infant mortality was an important aspect of the NRHM.

Keeping in mind the high death rates because of accidents and militancy-related incidents, Dr. Ramadoss also agreed to sanction four more trauma centres in the State. These would be in addition to the eight already sanctioned.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad stressed the need for setting up trauma centres as there were close to 1,200 to 1,300 deaths due to accidents every year as against 500-600 militancy-related deaths.

All such cases were sent to Srinagar or Jammu as there were no facilities at the district level.

Speciality hospitals

The State Government proposed to set up two super speciality hospitals, and outsource the diagnostic units, besides involving the non-governmental organisations in immunisation and transportation services.

It also proposed to appoint doctors from the Indian System of Medicines at various levels.

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