*Central team visits Jammu to select location
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 16: A Central team from AIIMS today visited Jammu to select a site for make shift arrangement of AIIMs Jammu as Government of India has decided to start first batch of 50 MBBS students in AIIMS Jammu from this academic session in a make shift arrangement.
Official sources told Excelsior that in an attempt to improve the Medical Education system in J&K, Government of India has decided to start MBBS classes in AIIMS Jammu from this academic session but as the required infrastructure is not in place, Government has taken decision to start the session with 50 MBBS students in a makeshift arrangement.
They said as a first step in this direction, a Central team comprising senior Professors/ HoDs of AIIMS Risikesh today met Atal Dulloo, Financial Commissioner, Health & Medical Education Department and had detailed discussions about start of MBBS classes at Jammu as well as in Kashmir from August this year.
“Financial Commissioner, J&K Health and Medical Education assured the team every possible help from the Government for starting the AIIMS in Jammu,” sources said, adding, the team was also accompanied by Dr Yashpal Sharma, Director (Coordinat-ion), New Government Medical Colleges, Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
Sources said the Central team comprising Prof Manoj Gupta, Dean (Academics), Prof Shailendra Handu, Dean (Allied Health Sciences), Prof Brijendra Singh, HoD, Anatomy and Dean (CSR), Er Anurag Singh, SE & Dr Manisha Naithani, Additional Prof and Vice Dean (Academics) from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS-Rishikesh), Mukesh Bajpai, Senior Architect from Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare along with Atal Dulloo and Dr Yashpal Sharma visited nine locations in and around Jammu City.
They said the team will select one of these locations for starting MBBS classes for AIIMS Jammu till the permanent infrastructure is raised at its original place i.e. Vijaypur in Samba district. However, it will take at least 2-3 years as work is yet to be started on the AIIMS project at Vijaypur and till then it will be functioning from a makeshift arrangement.
Sources further informed that the Central team along with Financial Commissioner J&K H&ME Atal Dulloo and Director New Colleges, Dr Yashpal Sharma also paid visit to Government Medical College, Kathua and took stock of its infrastructure and other facilities. They also met with the Principal as well as faculty of the College.
Pertinent to mention here that Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working for upgrading the health infrastructure and improvement of medical education in the country, specifically in the UT of J&K. The Centre has already sanctioned seven new Medical Colleges in J&K, out of which four are already functional while Government Medical College Doda is likely to get “Letter of Permission” (LoP) in this session.
Besides this, the process for establishment of remaining two newly sanctioned Medical Colleges at Udhampur and Handwara have also been initiated.
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