Kerala Govt requests MCI to increase MBBS seats in 2 of its renowed Colleges

The State Government has decided to approach the Medical Council of India and the Union Health Ministry to increase the MBBS seats in the Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode Medical Colleges.

The Government has already written to the Medical Council of India in this regard.

In a letter sent to the MCI, the Government has requested to increase 50 more MBBS seats each in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode Medical Colleges.

At present, both the colleges are having 200 MBBS seats each.

However, the MCI has asked the State Government to get the clearance from the Union Health Ministry first.

The Health Department has already written to the Principals of these two colleges, “to take immediate steps to address the Government of India guidelines along with the necessary details to get the seats increased this academic year itself.” The Principals have been asked to submit the details within a week so that it could be forwarded to the Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of India. According to the sources, already an official- level discussion in this regard between the two has taken place. The idea is to get the approval as early as possible such that the admission procedures can commence in the academic year 2010-11.

While submitting a detailed proposal seeking the enhancement of seats, the Government will have to submit evidence to show additional financial allocation, provision for additional space and equipment and other infrastructure facilities and the provisions of recruitment of additional staff as per the MCI norms.

It has to be remembered that after the LDF Government came to power in 2006, 150 additional MBBS seats were sanctioned for the State. The seats (50 each) were sanctioned in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Thrissur Medical Colleges. In the five Government-run Medical Colleges, the MCI has given sanction for a total of 850 seats.

For increasing the number of MBBS seats, the two Medical Colleges will have to fulfil the guidelines, issued by the MCI on the infrastructure and faculty strength.