The fate of establishment of a medical college with a super specialty hospital at the campus of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela is now uncertain as NIT Rourkela could not formally apply to the Medical Council of India (MCI) for the same, due to non fulfillment of several criteria.
Sources said that on April11, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare had given permission to NIT, Rourkela, to establish a medical college cum super specialty hospital at its campus, for which NIT had made an application during February this year. The NIT in its application to MHFW had claimed that they have necessary infrastructure like land, buildings, and technical knowhow to open a medical college. The permission was considered significant, since NIT Rourkela was the first among all NITs of the country to go for opening of a medical college in its campus.
Accepting the proposal of NIT Rourkela, Under Secretary of MHFW DVK Rao besides granting permission to NIT Rourkela however had advised the NITR authorities to submit a detail proposal to the Medical Council of India (MCI), latest by July 7, as per the provision of Indian Medical Council Act and regulations. The news of NIT Rourkela getting the permission to open a medical college had received wide welcome from various quarters here, particularly in western Odisha, as it was stated to be the a boon in healthcare services for the people of this region.
However, the project has now passed into a stage of uncertainty as according to sources, the NITR has not been able to submit its formal application along with detail proposal for setting up a medical college in its campus.
The authorities seem to be in confusion in many of the core issues, related to opening of the medical colleges, due to which the formal application submission with MCI was not possible. The NITR authorities also confirmed that there has been several difficulties for fulfilling the requirements of MCI, for which NITR have not been able to submit the detailed proposal, although the deadline for the same for this year has been over now.
"We faced difficulty in putting our case in several areas like having facilities of a 300 bedded hospital and source of funds of about Rs 600 crore, to be used for developing the project etc., for which we were unable to submit the proposal with MCI," said NITR Registrar SK Upadhyaya.
"As per the provision of the NIT Act, there is no provision for offering medical degrees," said Upadhaya. "An amendment is also required in the Act to introduce MBBS degrees in NIT," Upadhyaya added.