In a big respite to medical aspirants, the Union Health Ministry has approved admission at Medinirai Medical College, Palamu and Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College in Hazaribagh from this year after State Health Minister Banna Gupta requested his counterpart at the Centre to grant MBBS admission in these colleges with a plea that necessary infrastructure will be upgraded in these health hubs.

In September this year the National Medical Commission (NMC) had decided to put on hold admission in the MBBS course in the three newly established medical colleges namely Palamu, Dumka and Hazaribagh.

NMC had cited reasons like lack of necessary facilities at these medical colleges which were constructed and set-up during the previous government headed by Raghubar Das of the BJP. However, a few months back, NMC granted permission to Phulo Jhano Medical College Dumka, while admission at Daltonganj and Hazaribagh were on hold, but on Wednesday State Health Minister Banna Gupta shared the news that the Union Health Ministry has approved admission at these two colleges.

Gupta tweeted, ‘A good news, permission has been given for admission in 2 medical colleges of the state, I had repeatedly urged the Union Health Minister Shri @mansukhmandviya ji to take care about the future of the children of the state, the government would do better in providing good academic atmosphere at these medical colleges.’

According to Banna Gupta, the government is committed to increase necessary infrastructure at these medical colleges. Gupta also said that there is no dearth of teachers, the appointment of Professors and Associate Professors is being done on contractual basis.

Gupta on October 27 during the meeting of state health ministers raised the issue of providing MBBS admission at these two medical colleges.

It is worth mentioning that Arun Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Health Department, two months back (October, 2021) had requested NMC for admission to 100 MBBS seats in the second session in Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College, Hazaribagh and Medini Rai Medical College, Palamu. In a letter sent to NMC Chairman Dr. Suresh Chandra Sharma, Singh said that the health resources available in a tribal-dominated state like Jharkhand are weak. In the NFHS survey conducted from time to time, the state is lagging behind in many health parameters.

In view of this, special cooperation is needed to improve the health resources of the state. Infrastructure has also been adequately strengthened in Hazaribagh and Palamu Medical Colleges.

The infrastructure work in Hazaribagh Medical College has been completed by 98 per cent, while 96 per cent work has been done in Palamu Medical College. The resources are being improved by meeting the necessary resources for medical education. In view of this, permission should be given for admission to 100 seats each in the second session in both the medical colleges. Now with the consent of the Center, the way for admission has been opened for 200 medical students by combining both the colleges.