The Hindu : Front Page : Government to relax MCI norms soon

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Sunday, Apr 13, 2008
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Government to relax MCI norms soon

Staff Reporter

To facilitate more medical colleges

Will allow public-private partnership
States can choose from a broad policy framework

PUDUCHERRY: The Union Health Ministry would soon relax the regulations of the Medical Council of India (MCI), enabling public-private partnership to start medical colleges at government headquarters hospitals in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said on Saturday.

He was talking to journalists shortly after inaugurating a Rural Health Mela at Kodathur-Manaveli near Thirukanur held by the Puducherry State Health Mission and Department of Health and Family Welfare Services.

Dr. Ramadoss said, “we are planning to relax the MCI regulations in the North Eastern States and areas falling under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). We will provide a broader policy to the State governments and they can select from it.”

The relaxation for North Eastern States would primarily be in the doctor-patient ratio, number of beds and distance of hospital and college.

Dr. Ramadoss said the relaxation of the rules would be announced in a month or two. The number of beds in hospitals in North Eastern States would be relaxed to 250.

“The college and hospital need not be on the same campus and a distance of 10 to 15 km will be permitted.”

Rural service

The Minister said the Dr. Sambasiva Rao Committee, constituted to look into the proposed compulsory rural service for MBBS students, had submitted its recommendations and the Ministry was looking into the report. “We will give the result of the report in a week,” he said.

Pictorial warnings

On carrying pictorial warnings on cigarette and beedi packets, he said the Ministry had notified the same to the Himachal Pradesh High Court on March 16 and the case was still pending.

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