Vaishno Devi medical college seeks fresh NMC approval to restart MBBS course
The college had its Letter of Permission to run the MBBS course withdrawn by the NMC following an inspection conducted in January
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), whose permission to run the MBBS course was withdrawn by the National Medical Commission (NMC) in January this year, has sought fresh approval from the regulatory body to restart the programme.
The medical college, located at Kakryal in Katra, had its Letter of Permission to run the MBBS course withdrawn by the NMC following an inspection conducted in January. The inspection came after sustained protests by several social and political groups in Jammu.
The protests were triggered after a majority of the 50 MBBS seats at the institution were allotted to Muslim candidates from Kashmir. Although the allocation of seats was carried out as per the prescribed admission norms, protest groups in Jammu alleged that the medical college was being run using donations made by Hindu devotees to the Vaishno Devi shrine, which manages the institution.
According to reports, the institution has now applied to the NMC to resume the MBBS programme after completing the required formalities. An inspection by the NMC is expected to take place in April or May.
In a letter issued in January, the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) of the NMC had cited several deficiencies in the institution. The board noted that multiple complaints had been received alleging inadequate infrastructure, insufficient clinical material and a shortage of qualified full-time teaching faculty.
The complaints also pointed to inadequate patient load in both in-patient and out-patient departments, along with low bed occupancy.
The MARB report had highlighted a 39 per cent shortage of teaching faculty and a 65 per cent deficiency in tutors and senior residents. The out-patient department recorded 182 patients at 1 pm, against the stipulated requirement of 400.
Bed occupancy at the hospital stood at 45 per cent, significantly lower than the mandated 80 per cent, while the average occupancy in intensive care units was only 50 per cent.
Following the withdrawal of permission for the MBBS course, the government adjusted the affected students under supernumerary seats in various medical colleges across the Union Territory.
The Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) conducted a physical round of counselling for the 50 students of the institution on January 24. The students were allotted seats based on their NEET-UG merit and preferences among seven newly established government medical colleges in the UT.
