A set of new norms that the National Medical Commission (NMC) proposes for setting up a medical college, including imposition of distance and population restrictions, has become a point of concern at least in Uttar Pradesh, according to those in the know of things on the issue. The new norms may have an adverse impact on some of the investment proposals for setting up of new medical colleges, people aware of the matter say.
The National Medical Commission proposes that no new medical college can come up within 15 km of an existing medical college. The new norms also require the new medical college to serve a population of about 10 lakh in a 15-km area or else there should be more space between an existing and a new medical college.
The NMC issued the Draft Regulations of National Medical Commission (Minimum Standard Requirements for Establishment of New Medical College/Increase of seats in MBBS Course) Regulations, 2023 seeking comments from the stakeholders on June 23, 2023. It has received several representations against the proposed move, said those aware of the development.
The NCM’s draft regulations provide, “After A.Y. 2023-24, Letter of permission (LoP) for starting of new medical colleges shall be issued only for annual intake capacity of 50/100/150 seats, provided that no medical college exists in that geographical area covering a population of 10,00,000 (>10 lakh) and above. While issuing the Essentiality Certificate, State Government/UTs is required to ensure coverage of minimum 10 lakhs population for 100 MBBS seats and also minimum distance of 15 km between two medical colleges.” Asked whether the state government taken note of the NCM’s move, a senior officer of the medical education department said, “We are aware of the draft guidelines. This is bound to affect setting up new medical colleges in urban areas. The state government may soon formulate its view on the issue and would take up the same with the NMC if those affected give any representations.”
A former IAS officer said such requirements of distance and population may be justified for setting up primary and secondary healthcare units like the Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres.
{{/usCountry}}A former IAS officer said such requirements of distance and population may be justified for setting up primary and secondary healthcare units like the Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres.
{{/usCountry}}“The state governments have been imposing spatial and population norms in the primary and secondary education sectors of health education, veterinary services and other rural community development initiative. The results particularly in health and education sector have been mixed; while physical infrastructure has spread across rural landscape, there is chronic shortage of staff. Teachers and doctors are generally short even in the primary and secondary level facilities. No such distance and population norms have been imposed on locating tertiary level facilities in any sector. This move has come as surprise and resulted in a flood of representations to abandon it,” said the former IAS officer.
“The NMC’s move is regressive. This may have an adverse impact on the investment already proposed in the medical education sector. There is hardly any scope to open a new medical college in a city like Lucknow. It already has six medical colleges. Other cities also face the same problem and smaller cities may not have more than one medical college,” the former bureaucrat said.
Those already having their medical colleges think otherwise. “This will check the mushrooming medical colleges. Secondly, overlapping patients will be checked and colleges will get optimum number of patients too,” said Prof AA Mahdi, vice chancellor Era University, Lucknow. About metropolitan cities that are densely populated, he said, “Here, the rule on distance between two colleges may be relaxed.”