The Medical Council of India Board of Governors(BoG) has recently notified the amendment to the Establishment of Medical College Regulations,1999. This will allow a consortium to apply for the establishment of new medical colleges.
The Board of Governors has notified the amendments to invite greater participation from the private sector to come forward in order to establish medical colleges and impart high-quality medical education and training facilities to the aspiring medical students without compromising the standards of medical education.
At least two, and a maximum of four, with diverse expertise and business — such as private companies, societies, trusts, hospitals, land developers, and universities, including deemed universities — can now collaborate to set up a medical college. This needs to be attached to a teaching hospital where MBBS students can get hands-on training and expertise in treatment under the supervision of the senior faculty. The land on which the proposed medical college has to be built should be owned by the members of the consortium. In case the land is on a lease, it should not be less than a period of three years.
The leader of a consortium with the biggest stake in the partnership should apply for the new medical college. The hospital attached to a new college built under the revised rules must have 300 beds with 120 of them for surgical specialities, 120 for medical specialities, and 60 for obstetrics and gynaecology.
“The move is aimed at making it easier to set up a medical college by allowing a group of people or organisations to collaborate,” said MCI-BoG chairman Dr VK Paul. He said India has about 250 privately run medical colleges in India, and the amendment will increase private participation in the sector under the public-private partnership model.

Source: Hindustan Times, Medical Dialogues.
Image: India Today

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