Delhi Medical Colleges to be affiliated under one university

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 3: The Delhi Government is planning a strategy to form a new medical university to bring all the medical colleges located in the state under one's own power. For a smooth administration, a committee has been formed to prepare the Delhi Medical University Bill, which will be presented in the Assembly in the next two months.

The state government took the decision to provide the autonomy in the sector of medical education. In this regard, Mr. Satyendar Jain, state health minister reportedly said that a separate state medical university is required to deal with the insufficient medical health education in the state. Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), administered by Delhi University (DU), being one of the prominent colleges in the country, still their medical students and doctors have to report at DU for any decision.

The authorities of medical colleges have also laid their emphasis on the self-governed medical university, as they have to contact the affiliated university for every single decision, when the matter can be solved easily. Presently, more than 17 states have central health universities.

As of now, AIIMS, New Delh is the only independent medical college under the Parliament Act. Other than that, rest of the MBBS colleges are either governed by University of Delhi or Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU). Currently, these universities only provide the administrative support such as degrees, conducting examination among others.

The report will be submitted to the respective department within six to eight weeks by the project officers.

Responses from experts

This decision of Delhi Government has received mix responses by the academicians and health experts. Dr. Jagdish Prasad of Union Health Ministry suggested to construct an autonomous health university for the state of Delhi, else the importance of medical education will be lost.

While, as per the Indian Express report, Rajesh Jha, the member of DU executive council stated it as a political propaganda. He also said it as the suggestion with no academic justification.

Medical colleges in Delhi

At present, there are four medical colleges under University of Delhi namely, MAMC, Lady Hardinge Medical College, University College of Medical Sciences and Vallabh Bhai Patel Chest Institute.

While, five colleges are affiliated to GGSIPU, which are: Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital; North Delhi Municipal Corporation Medical College and Hindu Rao Hospital; Army College of Medical Sciences; Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital and PGIMER – Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.