JNU proposal to set up medical college, attached Hospital gets Academic Council's nod

New Delhi: The Academic Council of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has approved a proposal for setting up a School of Medical Sciences and an attached multi-speciality hospital.

The information to this effect was shared by the university in a statement recently. "The medical school will offer PhD, MD-PhD, MD, MS, DM, MCh and MBBS programmes with an emphasis on modern medicine integrated with traditional medicine and knowledge systems from humanities and social sciences," the statement added, quotes PTI

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported about the proposal submitted by the JNU authorities to the council appealing for the creation of a medical college and associated hospital.

The proposal is for a 500-bed hospital offering super speciality treatment, including critical services in cardiology, organ transplant, neurology, and pulmonology, along which "non-conventional departments" with 50% faculty posts reserved for scientists.

The proposal was presented to the apex Academic Council on Tuesday, 17th August, and the estimated cost of the project is Rs. 900 crore. It had been prepared by a committee that includes members from premier health institutions including AlIMS and NIMHANS. The document stated that the proposal is in accordance with the JNU Act 1966 and the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

"NEP emphasizes multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teaching and research... The JNU Act also focuses on expanding and providing access to medical and health-care research.... Establishing a medical school with a hospital will fulfil the objective on which the University has been established and it will be a stepping stone to achieve the visions of NEP 2020," the document stated.

The University proposed to establish the school and the hospital on a 25-acre land available at its campus and will offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses in all the disciplines. The admission to MBBS and MD courses will be done through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

However, this proposal was not met without resistance. Two AC members, who wish to remain anonymous, confirmed receiving the proposal as a part of an additional agenda sent by the University administration ahead of the Tuesday meeting, and termed it as 'another attempt to change the character of the University.'