‘Mentor institutes’ to ensure quality work at 3 upcoming medical colleges, assist in recruitment

Haryana medical education and research department has handpicked three established government medical colleges to function as “mentor institutes” of upcoming government medical colleges in Jind, Bhiwani and Mahendragarh, where the Manohar Lal Khattar government plans to start MBBS admissions before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it has emerged.

Each “mentor institute” has been tasked to ensure high-quality construction of medical colleges as per norms of the National Medical Commission (NMC). These will also assist in recruitment and obtaining numerous clearances and approvals to start a medical college and hospital.

As per top government sources, a decision was taken officially on Wednesday that Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College, Sonepat, will act as a mentor institute of the under-construction Government Medical College in Jind, Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, will do the hand-holding of Pandit Neki Ram Sharma Government Medical College in Bhiwani, Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Government Medical College, Nalhar in Nuh district, will function as a mentor institute of the upcoming Government Medical College and Hospital in Koriawas in Mahendragarh district.

CM Manohar Lal Khattar in his budget speech had said that the three government medical colleges are likely to start with their first admissions in 2023-24. Over ₹650 crore will be spent to set up one medical college. Concerned about these projects running behind schedule, Sumita Misra, additional chief secretary (ACS), medical education and research, recently held a series of review meetings following which director medical education and research (DMER) Aditya Dahiya set into motion the steps needed to speed up the work.

As per official records, on May 8, Dahiya mooted the proposal to make functional medical colleges as “mentor institutes” of the under-construction government medical colleges.

ACS Misra approved this on May 10, with a direction to the mentor institution’s concerned head of the departments to also check that construction and infrastructure of the new institutions is strictly as per functional requirements of every specialty to be provided in the hospital.

Sources say the review meeting will be held in a month, when the mentor institutes will have to submit a report about the steps taken.

Procedure to start admissions

Officials of the DMER said as per the provisions of the NMC Act-2019, prior permission of the Centre is mandatory to open a new medical college or to increase MBBS seats etc. There are separate minimum requirements for admitting 50, 100, 150, 200 or 250 students. The NMC evaluates applications regarding opening a new medical college by considering the documents given by the applicant institutions and also by carrying out physical inspection to verify information supplied by the applicant.

The permission to establish a medical college and to admit students is granted initially for a period of one year and is renewed on yearly basis, subject to verification of achievements of annual targets. The NMC carries out inspection for annual renewal of permission till the establishment of the medical college and expansion of the hospital facilities are complete and a formal recognition to the medical college is granted.

According to a DMER functionary, the state government intends to start the hospital and obtain permission from the NMC for admission of students in MBBS course in the three medical colleges at the earliest.