West Bengal set to lose 500 medical seats

Saibal Gupta,TNN | Feb 19, 2015, KOLKATA: The Medical Council of India is likely to recommend de-recognition of two medical colleges. It will also not allow renewal of permission for increased student intake in two more medical colleges.

The cancellations, along with the closure of ESI Medical College at Joka, will lead to reduction of about 500 MBBS seats.

In an executive committee meeting on November 20, the MCI found that two medical colleges — Midnapore Medical College and North Bengal Medical College — lacked infrastructure. These two colleges were asked to file a compliance report of infrastructure upgrade within three months. Midnapore Medical College has 100 seats while the one in North Bengal can enroll 150 students.

MCI also found that two other colleges — Nil Ratan Sircar and R G Kar — failed to upgrade their infrastructure.

The upgrade was necessary because both the colleges increased their student intake from 150 to 200 and from 150 to 250 respectively four years ago.

"The condition of all the four colleges is pathetic and it is impossible for the MCI to allow them to continue with MBBS courses unless they upgrade their infrastructure," an MCI official said.

Though the deadline of the three months will end on February 20, the colleges at Midnapore and North Bengal are yet to submit the compliance report. "We have met most of the requirements that MCI sought and we will shortly send a compliance report," said principal of Midnapore Medical College Tamal Kanti Ghosh.

The city's two medical colleges — R G Kar and NRS — have already submitted the compliance reports, but according to the MCI sources, the report is not satisfactory.

"Lots of things are yet to be done and we want those things to be done in time," said another MCI official.

MCI report mentions that most of the colleges do not have a modern operation theatre, adequate number of lecture theatres and a proper library. There is also a huge vacancy of teachers. "The state government never realized the importance of infrastructure of medical colleges. Now, MCI has become strict and if the government doesn't understand this, the students will suffer a lot," said Joint Entrance Examination (medical) expert Amiya Kumar Maity.