After becoming the only medical college in the State to offer a maximum of 250 medical seats from this academic year, the Osmania Medical College (OMC) is set to add another feather in its cap.
The Medical Council of India (MCI) is likely to give its nod for eight more super-speciality seats to the college, which will increase its number from 42 to 50.
College officials said that in due course, some more super-speciality courses in surgical gastroenterology, neonatology, child psychiatry, emergency medicine and hospital administration will be added.
Osmania Medical College is already offering 274 post-graduate seats, which incidentally is the highest by any medical college in the State.
Given the fact that the cost of each super-speciality medical seat in private medical colleges under management quota is roughly Rs. 3 crore, Osmania Medical College officials said that the MCI nod is a big tick to the college’s existing infrastructure and faculty.
The super-speciality seats in gastroenterology are now expected to jump to five from two, endocrinology department will add four seats from the existing one and nephrology department will have three more seats from the existing one.
“The MCI team, which inspected our facilities, has expressed satisfaction. The visiting team was happy and we should get a positive signal from MCI in the coming days,” says Osmania Medical College Principal Dr. Putta Srinivas.
The additional medical and likely super-speciality seats in the coming days were possible due to meticulous planning and concerted efforts to develop infrastructure, which were the MCI preconditions, he points out.
“In earlier inspections, the MCI teams had recommended better infrastructure. We planned accordingly and developed 32 demonstration rooms, lecture halls, enhanced library and exam-seating capacity, procured laboratory equipment and increased hostel capacity,” explains Dr. Srinivas.
The MCI team of three members inspected all the affiliated hospitals of OMC including Osmania General Hospital, Government Maternity Hospital, Petlaburj, Niloufer Hospital, MNJ Cancer Hospital, SD Eye Hospital, Chest Hospital, Fever Hospital, Government ENT Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, Maternity Hospital in Sultan Bazaar and the Patancheru rural health centre, before giving its nod.