TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Two years after the Goa Medical College (GMC) placed a letter of intent to the Medical Council of India (MCI) for an increase of the number of seats for the MBBS degree from 100 to 150; the council has given its green light to this and to a proportional increase in the number of post graduate courses from 85 to 107.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar announced the MCI approval after meeting with the council adding that they would ask for 50 more seats. He said the infrastructure for the increase in seats would be ready by August this year.
Speaking about the approval, GMC Dean Dr Pradeep Naik said it was a positive sign after the months of work the department had put into the added infrastructure.
The college had in 2012 written to the MCI informing them that they were willing to take on the additional responsibilities of the financial and infrastructural requirements to increase the number of seats.
Following their initial letter, MCI officials conducted the first inspection in November 2012 pointing to the deficiencies in infrastructure and facilities. The college on its part submitted a compliance report after which they were called for a hearing by the health department. The MCI team was sent once again for an inspection.
“We’ve been waiting since the last inspection where we had in place the infrastructure and plans for three new facilities in the campus,” said Naik. These facilities – a lecture hall theatre, accommodation for 200 girls at the girls’ hostel and an auditorium cum examination hall – are expected to be ready by August this year.
The increase in MBBS seats was also met with a proportional increase in post graduate courses. “The increase in MBBS seats will create more doctors and the competition for post graduate course will also increase. We had therefore suggested having a proportional increase in the number of post graduate course which was also approved with 22 new seats,” Naik said.
In the past, with every 100 students that passed MBBS, there were only 85 post graduate seats. The MCI approval brings this tally to 107 post graduate seats for every 150 that complete their MBBS degree.
Inspections for both degrees were conducted at the same time. As the college prepares to welcome its batch of 150 students this September with infrastructure estimated to be ready by August, Goa will soon see an increase in its share of doctors generated.
