Maharashtra Medical College likely to lose 11 MD Medicine seats as NMC puts admissions on hold

Nagpur: In a major setback to Postgraduate medical education in Maharashtra, Vidarbha based State-run Vasantrao Naik Government Medical College and Hospital (VNGMCH) might lose 11 Postgraduate medical seats as the National Medical Commission (NMC) has decided to keep the admission in MD medicine seats on hold.

This decision has been taken by NMC, the Apex medical education regulatory body as it took note of the shortage of faculty members, required infrastructure, and machines in the medical college while conducting a surprise inspection earlier this month.

Following the surprise visit, the Commission wrote to the college and directed to keep the admissions in the MD medicine seats on hold.

Faced with such a major setback, the college authorities are determined to reverse the situation by restoring the seats and resuming the admission process.

The GMC faced with such a major setback while the Maharashtra Government recently decided setting up new medical colleges in 12 districts of the State. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the State has taken a loan of Rs 4000 crore from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for this purpose. 

Also Read: Maharashtra govt to take Rs 4,000 crore loan to set up new medical colleges in 12 districts

While on the one hand, the State is trying to increase the number of MBBS seats available in Maharashtra, on the other, one of the oldest Government medical college in the State, VNGMCH might lose 11 PG medical seats.

As per the latest media report by the Times of India, during the surprise inspection conducted by NMC last month, enough teachers were not present in the college. Besides, MRI scan was also not available in the Government medical institute. Taking note of all the deficiencies, the Commission wrote to the college and directed to put admissions to MD medicine seats on hold.

The daily adds that the order from the Commission comes at a time when the Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis announced on the same day about the State's vision of establishing medical colleges in every district of Maharashtra

Meanwhile, the Dean of VNGMCH, Dr. Milind Fulpatil has reportedly informed NMC about the availability of MRI machine. Assuring that the shortage of faculties would be handled easily by DMER, the Dean told TOI, "One MRI machine has been recently received at a Super Specialty Hospital attached to the GMCH. Second will be arriving soon and it will be installed in GMCH which will end the shortage of MRI machine."

Assuring that the State would not let the number of PG seats get reduced, the Minister of Medical Education of Maharashtra, Girish Mahajan told the daily, "We have already started a process to fill up the vacant posts of the medical teachers. Our long term plan is to establish a Maharashtra Medical Service Commission. In this particular case, the DMER has already appointed teachers on deputation in the said medical college."

The daily adds that around 17 teachers had been transferred from GMCH Nagpur to VNGMCH, Yavatmal back in June 2022 since around 3 departments of the medical college were waiting for NMC visit. However, when finally the Commission conducted the surprise visit on August 5, many among these 17 faculties were absent from the college.

Terming it to be an example of ghost faculty, the NMC team members have reportedly slammed the college officials, adds TOI.

Meanwhile, in order to streamline the process of appointments to vacant posts in government medical colleges, the Maharashtra recently announced the consideration of establishing a Maharashtra Medical Service Commission.

The confirmation regarding this came from the Medical Education minister Girish Mahajan, who was responding to a question in the Maharashtra Legislative Council.

Also Read: Maharashtra to get medical service commission to fill vacant posts at Government Medical Colleges