GMC Keonjhar gets NMC Letter of Intent for 100 MBBS seats

Bhubaneswar: Another 100 MBBS seats are going to be added to the seat matrix of Odisha since the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued the Letter of Intent (LOI) to the new Government Medical College in Keonjhar district for commencing admissions in 100 MBBS seats from the 2022-2023 academic session.

Issuing the LOI, the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) of the Commission has directed the State Government for submit an undertaking with an assurance to provide all the facilities as per the NMC norms.

NMC, the Apex Medical education regulatory body will issue the Letter of Permission (LOP) after the State submits the undertaking and following this the medical aspirants in Odisha will get a better opportunity to pursue MBBS course.

The college, to be functional soon, will promote medical education in tribal regions, the official told PTI.

GMC Keonjhar is one of the five proposed medical colleges that are coming up in the State within 2025. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Additional Director of Medical Education and Training (DMET) of the State, Dr Umakanta Satpathy had previously announced that five new medical colleges would be set up in Odisha and they would be operational in phases.

Also Read:Five More Medical Colleges in Odisha by 2025

It was decided that these new medical colleges would be set up at Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Bhawanipatna, Jajpur and Phulbani. Among these, NMC recently gave its permission for 100 MBBS seats at GMC Sundargarh.

After Sundargarh, the medical college at Keonjhar also received the nod from the Commission. PTI adds that in a letter to the college dean on Tuesday, the NMC informed that the Medical Assessment and Rating Board has approved 100 seats for the health institute, which will function under the aegis of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Baripada.

As per the latest media report by Odisha TV, the MARB notification in this regard stated, "I am directed to refer your application for Starting of New Medical College Government Medical College, Keonjhar under the MSCBD University, Baripada with annual intake of 100 MBBS students u/s 26(1)(a)(b) and 28(1)(2) and section 61(2) of the NMC Act, 2019 for the academic year 2022-23."

The nod from the Commission came after MARB examined the Assessor's report and also the remarks of the UG Expert Groups regarding the infrastructure facilities of the college, laboratories, library, hostels, hospital and availability of the faculty, their experience, publications and residents / tutors, availability of nursing and paramedical staff and other facilities at the Govermment medical institute.

NMC has clarified to the medical college that no students should be admitted till MARB gives its formal permission. The permission from NMC Board shall remain valid for a period of 5 years or till the course is recognized.

The notification further stated, "It shall be incumbent upon the Medical College that the information relating to admission should be submitted within the time specified in the circular in this regards issued by this office from time to time. Any failure to submit the information within this time limit would be constructed that the admission in the college were not in accordance with the statutory requirements, thereby enabling the Commission to proceed in accordance with law against the college."