NMC nod for 100 MBBS Seats in Kokrajhar Medical College

Guwahati: Bringing good news to the medical aspirants in Assam, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has given its permission for 100 MBBS seats at the newly constituted Kokrajhar Medical College, Kokrajhar for the academic session 2023-2024.

The approval from the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) for the medical college under the Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences, Guwahati came on Tuesday.

Sharing the news on Twitter, the Chief Minister of Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote, "We've achieved another milestone! Happy to share that Kokrajhar Medical College has received the approval of National Medical Commission for 100 MBBS seats. This will take our total number of MBBS seats to 1300, a marked improvement from 726 in 2017."

The construction work for Kokrajhar Medical College had been going on for a long time. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Health Minister of Assam, Sri Keshab Mahanta had assured that the construction process for the medical college in Kokrajhar would be complete within 2022. 

Back then, referring to the erosion of River Gaurang which passes by the construction site, which was posing a threat to Kokrajhar Medical College, the Health Minister has assured that the State Government had sanctioned financial aid for erosion-protection measures.

Also Read: Assam Health Minister visits Kokrajhar Medical College

Now, finally the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) of NMC has granted its approval for 100 MBBS seats at Kokrajhar Medical College, Kokrajhar.

Issuing the Letter of Intent to the head of the medical college, MARB mentioned, "I am directed to refer your application for Starting of New Medical at Kokrajhar Medical College, Kokrajhar under the Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences, Guwahati 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 2023-2024."

"The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) of NMC examined the Assessor's report dated 31.01.2023 for assessing the availability of infrastructual facilities of the college, laboratories, library, hostels, hospital and availability of the faculty, their experience, publications and residents/tutors, nursing and paramedical staff available with other facilities available at Kokrajhar Medical College, Kokrajhar under the Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences, Guwahati for starting of MBBS course for the academic year 2023-2024 and decided as under: Approved for- 100 MBBS seats," it further added.

However, in the LOI, the NMC board has clarified that the college must submit an undertaking promising to provide all infrastructural facilities in terms of teaching and non-teaching staff, building, equipment and hospital facilities as per National Medical Commission norms.

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"No student should be admitted in the above courses till the formal permission of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB)," the NMC board warned in the letter.

While commenting on the NMC permission for Kokrajhar Medical College, the State Health Minister Keshab Mahanta told the Times of India, “Our government is going ahead with the plan to construct one medical college in each district with the state-of-the-art facilities, which will offer affordable healthcare service. The government has a plan to build 24 medical colleges by 2026.”

TOI adds that NMC team might arrive for assessing the medical colleges in Nalbari and Nagaon within a week. Speaking about this, the Director of Medical Education in Assam, Dr Anup Kumar Barman added, “We are hopeful that Nalbari and Nagaon medical colleges will also get NMC’s approval to start MBBS course for 100 seats each. If we get both the approvals, the number of MBBS seats in state’s medical colleges will go up to 1,500 from this year itself.”

Recently the MoS Health Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar had informed the Parliament that Assam has a total number of 10 medical colleges with an intake capacity for 1250 MBBS seats. With the NMC nod for 100 MBBS seats at Kokrajhar medical college, another 100 MBBS seats have been added to the seat matrix.

Also Read: Renewal or increase intake of MBBS seats 2022-23: NMC gives deadline to medical colleges for submission of affidavit