Ranchi: Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta on Wednesday requested Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to lift a ban on admission of students in three medical colleges of the state in Dumka, Hazaribagh and Palamu.

Gupta made the request to Vardhan through a video conference. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has prohibited the admission process of these medical colleges citing the inadequate basic infrastructure.

Also Read: Jharkhand Health Sector review flags critical gaps: 85 percent specialist doctor posts lying vacant

Speaking to ANI over the phone, Gupta said," Jharkhand is a poor and backward state. Report of the Medical Council of India suggests that there's a crisis of medical staff in the state. Thus, our human resource development needs to be shaped. For this, it is necessary these medical colleges start having admissions. The Chief Minister too had written on this matter."

"The discussion was fruitful and the Union Health Minister has forwarded my concern to the NMC for consideration. Hopefully, the ban will be lifted. When students will be enrolled in our medical college, after due time we will be able to overcome the shortage of doctors and medical staff," he further added.

The permission was granted to admit 100 students each in three colleges. The admission process for the academic year 2020-21 had started after the NEET examination results was announced, but the NMC had barred these colleges to admit new students due to some infrastructural deficiencies.