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MBBS aspirants in a dilemma

CUTTACK: Delay in renewal of permission by Medical Council of India (MCI) to increase MBBS seats from 107 to 150 in all the three government medical colleges of the State has put the MBBS aspirants in a dilemma.

Although, MCI teams inspected the facilities of medical colleges in April-May this year, no communiqué for enhancement of the seats has come yet, according to State Director of Medical Education and Training P.K. Dash. “However, we are hopeful of getting a positive response from MCI within a week or two,” he said.

But the MBBS aspirants, who have qualified in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), the results of which were published last week, are a worried lot. Since the counselling for admissions is likely to begin in the first week of July, the MCI’s denial of increasing seats for SCB medical college in 2004-05 academic year still haunts the aspirants. In that year, the MCI refused to increase the seats, forcing the authorities to issue a corrigendum reducing the State quota for the college from 128 to 91.

SCB Medical College Principal P.K. Chinara, however, is very hopeful that the college will definitely get the MCI nod for higher intake of MBBS students. “Even if we get the communiqué at the time of counselling, we would complete the admission process by the September 30,” he said on Wednesday.

As per the MCI guidelines, the medical colleges seeking enhancement of MBBS intake would be reviewed every year for five years to take stock of the achievements in terms of infrastructure, faculty position and other facilities. The seats of the SCB Medical College were increased to 150 in 2003-04. But in the following year, the MCI did not approve the increase of seats citing poor facilities as a reason. However, in subsequent years, i.e. in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08, the renewals were made.

The State government has been repeatedly urging the Centre to increase MBBS seats in government medical colleges. The government claims that all medical colleges in the State are well equipped to enhance intakes as adequate facilities here are in place. Moreover, the State government is worried for lack of sufficient doctors in the State.

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