Govt mulls MBBS classes at Nerchowk college

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, January 13

The state government is mulling over starting MBBS classes of AIIMS (All-India Institute of Medical Sciences) Bilaspur at Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Nerchwok, in Mandi district, this year.

The government has started its exercise for the purpose and asked the Nerchowk medical college authorities to send a feasibility report for the purpose. 

Official sources told The Tribune that the Nerchowk medical college authorities had sent the feasibility report to the government, in which it had said the MBBS classes of AIIMS could be started easily. However, the matter is in a preliminary stage and it will depend on the government as to how it will take up the matter with the Centre for the purpose.

The Centre had approved setting up of an AIIMS in Bilaspur with an outlay of Rs 1,350 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Surakhsa Yojana (PMSSY), which will take some years to develop the infrastructure for the purpose.

According to an official statement, the 750-bed AIIMS will have a medical college with an intake capacity of 100 seats and a nursing college with 60 seats.

The new AIIMS will have 20 speciality and super-speciality departments, including 15 operation theatres. It will also have residential complexes . It will also have an Ayush Department with 30 beds for treatment in traditional system of medicine.

Dr Rajneesh Pathania, Principal of Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College at Nerchowk, said,“The government had asked us to provide a feasibility report to start the MBBS classes on the college premises.”

He said, “There is possibility that the MBBS classes  will be started in the college and the authorities have submitted its report to the government over this issue.