Decks appear to have been cleared for the issuance of the all important letter of Permission (lOP) for Doon Medical College (DMC) with the college authorities submitting an undertaking to remove some discrepancies to the Medical Council of India (MCI) on Friday. The college authorities are now confident that the lOP would be released soon and the college would be able to give admissions in I year MBBS course from this session.
The undertaking was handed over to the MCI by the Principal Secretary Health, Om Prakash and the Principal of DMC, Dr Pradeep Bharati Gupta in New Delhi. Dr Gupta later informed The Pioneer that the MCI team which visited the hospital and medical college on May 05 had pointed out some issues. The DMC has given the undertaking to MCI that they would be sorted out soon. He said that the lOP for the college is expected soon and the college would be able to start its MBBS course with a batch of 150 students probably from August this year.
After years of hollow talks the DMC started taking a concrete shape last year when the State Government appointed a Principal and other staff members in it. The Doon hospital and Doon women hospitals which earlier were district hospitals were merged in the DMC so that the precondition of a 300 bed hospital is fulfilled. The academic and administrative blocks of DMC were constructed at Dehra Khas area of the city. The First team of MCI visited the hospital in the month of January this year. This team listed 27 shortcomings in the hospital and college its report to the MCI. The apex body of Medical education later gave some more time to the college to remove these shortcomings. After compliance on these discrepancies the DMC sought a re- inspection. After a long wait the MCI team finally arrived in first week of this month and if everything goes as per the plan the long cherished dream of the people of Dehradun for a government medical college would be soon realised.