the goan I network
PANAJI
The Goa Medical College & Hospital at Bambolim (GMC) seems to have wasted a golden opportunity to convert around 22 diploma seats to post-graduate seats with the existing infrastructure setup. The GMC administration, it is learnt, did not respond in time to the notice of Medical Council of India for surrendering recognised diploma medical courses in order to upgrade the course by an equal number of seats.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has informed that only those applications received by January 25, 2019 will be considered and unfortunately, GMC seems to have not applied till now.
The GMC would have got an opportunity to run courses in Masters Surgery (MS) and general medicine (MD) in specialisation such as Radio Diagnosis, Paediatrics, Gynaecology, Physiology, Preventive and Social Medicine, Anaesthesiology, Psychological Medicine.
If the Apex Hospital of the State had applied in time for the upgraded courses, not only 22 students per batch would have benefitted but also patients from Goa and other parts of India.
The Goa Medical College had a golden chance to convert 22 diploma seats out of the 26 courses, as this concession had come from the central government through the Medical Council of India in view of scarcity of specialised doctors in India.
To increase degree seats, a state needs to have all arrangements in place. Staff, wards and other things are to be increased to get a nod from the MCI to increase seats.
Admissions to courses start by the end of this month.
Presently, Goa is offering total 124 degree seats with 76 MD and 22 MS students.
I may be recalled that the in 2015 Medical Council of India had allowed GMC to increase seats MCI insists on full strength of professors, associate professors, and assistant professors in the speciality wings.
In 2015 during inspection MCI wanted that infrastructure to be improved on different parameters. Lecture room, auditorium, and classrooms with increase capacity.
The GMC dean Pradeep Naik could not be contacted as his phone was switched off.
