Finally, there is some good news for beleaguered medicos appearing for the PG medical entrance test this year, many of them for the second time after the question paper leak scam. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has green-lighted nine super-speciality courses at teaching hospitals under the Osmania Medical College (OMC) from this academic year.
It is rare super-speciality seats like Master’s in neonatology (for treatment of newborn infants) and surgical gastroenterology that have received approval from MCI.
“It’s a boost because getting such super-speciality seats means that we can now have access to speciality doctors in the government sector in the future. This is also an MCI endorsement of our capabilities,” OMC principal Putta Srinivas said.
In all, MCI has permitted two seats each in surgical oncology, urology and neurology, and one super-speciality seat each in nephrology, surgical gastroenterology and neonatology. Doctors appearing for this year’s PG entrance test will thus have access to the nine seats.
Since 1971, health authorities have been trying for MCI approval for a super-speciality seat in neonatology at the State-run Niloufer Hospital. Another rare speciality course, surgical oncology, which deals with the surgical management of cancer, has received MCI nod for two seats at the MNJ Cancer Research Institute.
“We need such PG seats to produce speciality doctors who can contribute a lot to government hospitals. OMC and OGH underwent extensive inspections from the MCI team before getting permission,” Dr. Srinivas said.
Worth Rs. 2-3 croreEstimates suggest that each of these super-speciality medical seats will be worth anywhere between Rs.2 crore and Rs.3 crore in private medical colleges.
“Now such seats will be available only for meritorious students, for free,” he pointed out.
