NMC approves 100 MBBS seats at GMC Satara in Maharashtra, admissions to begin from 2022

Pune: In a major development for Maharastra's medical education sector, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has finally approved 100 MBBS seats for the proposed Satara Government Medical College. The information to this effect was shared by Satara District Guardian Minister Balasaheb Patil yesterday.

Patil confirmed that State Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had announced the construction of this GMC in the budget, while the construction work was progressing speedily.

Medical Dialogues had been reporting about the previous developments related to the medical college's establishment. Last year in November, the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, MUHS had given its affiliation consent to the new Government Medical College in Satara.

The MUHS circular stated, "On the basis of the report by the local inquiry committee (LIC), MUHS has agreed, in principle, to affiliate the proposed medical college to be established as Government Medical College, at Civil Hospital Campus, Satara with the annual intake for 100 seats, pending final authorization from NMC." This came following an initiative of the government to covert 11 district hospitals into GMCH by central approval.

The proposal of starting a brownfield project had been made considering the growing demand for medical and dental seats, for both UG and PG medical courses. A Brownfield Medical College is one that comes into being by converting an existing government hospital into a medical college cum public hospital. Following the proposal, the government had proposed to convert 11 district hospitals in the state into GMCs in Nandurbar, Satara, Parbhani, Buldhana, Sindhudurg, Nashik, Amravati, Usmanabad, Palghar, Alibaug, and Mumbai.

The proposal for Government Medical College at Satara was pending for many years. In January 2012, Rs 419 crore was sanctioned for Satara, a 100-bed medical college and an attached 500-bed hospital, but no further action was taken. Considering the needs of people of Satara, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar took the initiative to resolve the issue, mentioned the Minister.

He said the state government allotted 64 acres of land of Water Resources Department at Krishnanagar near Satara city to Government Medical College and transferred 70 acres of government land in Khavali village under the control of District Collector to the Water Resources Department.

Thanking Pawar for putting relentless efforts for the project, he further informed UNI that the academic year will start from 2022, facilitating the ambition of local aspirants seeking admissions in medical courses. The facility will also make the health service in Satara district more efficient, he underscored.

Pawar, who also helms the Finance portfolio, has assured that there will be no shortage of funds for the medical college as it was a need of the people of Satara, he added.

Patil further said that until the new GMC building is made available, Pawar has instructed to operate the medical college in the district from the coming academic year using the district hospital and health system.

Also Read:Manipur gets its first Private Medical College with 150 MBBS seats