Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 27: None of the aspects related to establishment of five new Medical Colleges in Jammu and Kashmir have received serious attention of the Health and Medical Education Department despite lapse of 3 years. Be it creation of physical infrastructure, setting into motion the process for filling up newly created posts or placing orders for procurement of equipments, Government is faltering everywhere.
Five new Medical Colleges (each with intake capacity of 100 MBBS students) for Rajouri, Kathua and Doda in Jammu province and Baramulla and Anantnag in Kashmir were announced in February 2014 by the then Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, as part of a Centrally-Sponsored Scheme, to improve State’s health sector.
Official sources said though three years have passed yet little has been done to establish these colleges by the present State Government whereas 22 other new Medical Colleges which were announced at the same time in other parts of the country, have already came into existence as the respective State Governments started camp colleges while the construction work of the buildings is going on side by side. “These colleges have even enrolled 1st batch of 100 students and in August next year they will be enrolling 2nd batch of 100 students”, they added.
The construction work on Baramulla, Anantnag and Rajouri Medical Colleges has been set into motion but pace of work is too slow as such there are remote chances of Government meeting the deadline for their completion fixed by the Union Government. On the other hand, Medical Colleges of Doda and Kathua are still at tendering stage.
“Though 3700 posts of doctors and paramedical staff for these Medical Colleges have been sanctioned by the State Cabinet yet till date the concerned authorities have failed to refer these posts to recruitment agencies like Public Service Commission and Services Selection Board though recruitment is a very lengthy process in J&K”, sources said.
As far as procurement of equipment and other machinery required for these colleges, sources disclosed that lists have been made but the J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL) has yet not been communicated about the same despite the fact that procurement is required to be made through the Corporation only.
They said that due to non-serious approach adopted by the present State Government in making new Medical Colleges functional, 500 NEET passed medical aspirants of the State remain deprived of the opportunity to fulfill their aspiration last year, 500 this year and the same number of students will lose this opportunity next year also. Notably, nearly 14000 medical aspirants appear every year for medical courses in State of J&K.
When contacted, Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department, Dr Pawan Kotwal, said that nearly 40 % construction work of the buildings of Baramulla, Anantnag and Rajouri colleges have been completed and every effort will be made to complete these works within one year.
About Kathua and Doda Medical Colleges, he said that tendering process has been completed for both the colleges and an amount of Rs 51 crore in respect of each college has already been given to R&B Department for taking up construction work.
About recruitment for the posts sanctioned by the Cabinet, he said, “as recommended by MCI, we have adopted 3-tier recruitment policy for these colleges and within 3-4 days we are going to refer these posts to PSC for recruitment”. He further said that the recruitment policy for paramedical staff was yet to be made.
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