NMC invites comments on MBBS admission, medical college regulations

NEW DELHI: The newly-established National Medical Commission placed its draft regulation on MBBS courses and on establishing new medical colleges in the public domain on Tuesday for comment.

Called the “Minimum Requirements for Annual MBBS Admissions Regulations, 2020," the regulations will come into force on the date of their publication in the official gazette and will be applicable to medical colleges being established from 2021-22 academic session. The last date for comments is October 19.

The two sections for which the comments have been sought are the regulations under the “Minimum Requirements for Annual MBBS Admissions Regulations, 2020” and “Establishment of Medical College Regulations, (Amendment), 2020”.

Annual admission regulation

The minimum requirements for annual MBBS admission regulation 2020 lay down in detail, of the infrastructure and faculty required for annual renewals of 100 MBBS seats.

The regulation goes into detail on the infrastructural facilities requirement for 100 admissions, 250 admissions and 500 admissions annually. The requirements include the college building, laboratories, tutorial rooms, library, hostels and bed distributions.

The regulation also sets out the minimum infrastructural standards for such facilities in the northeastern region.

The annual admission regulation also emphasizes the compulsory departments in the colleges and the faculties required for the purpose.

Qualifying criteria

Few more criteria for setting up medical colleges have been proposed including having a teaching hospital attached and a residential area for the teachers and the students. The residential area also needs to be within the campus for most places.

However, in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, hilly areas and the northeastern states the medical college can also be in two plots of land -- one housing the teaching hospital and the other the medical college with hostels for students and interns. The distance between the two plots of land should be less than 10 kilometres or 40 mins of travel time, whichever is lesser.

If a government district hospital is being considered for use as a teaching hospital of a medical college, all constituents of the district hospital, even if they are on two plots of land, will be considered as the affiliated teaching hospital. But the main district hospital should have at least 300 beds.

The medical college shall have to provide built-up space in the college and the teaching hospitals to accommodate a library, administrative areas, rooms for teaching and non-teaching staff and student amenities.

The infrastructure must conform to building codes and local building bye-laws. This needs to be done after considering the minimum beds and the annual intakes of MBBS students under regulations.

Further, for medical colleges which are being established from academic session 2021-22, the body establishing it should own and manage a fully functional hospital with a minimum of 300 beds. It should have the necessary infrastructure and facilities and will be capable of being developed into a teaching institution.

For the northeastern states and the hilly areas, the bed strength required can be 250. But all these hospitals should have an additional 30 beds for emergency care. Also, hospitals should be functional for a minimum period of two years.

Granting permission

The commission has also proposed granting permission to medical colleges established from 2021-22. This can be renewed on a yearly basis subject to achievements of annual targets.

Physical verification of infrastructure, human resources and other facilities shall be carried out for first and third renewal. This will continue until recognition of the MBBS qualification awarded by the medical college is granted.

Also, it will be the responsibility of the body starting the college to apply to the Medical Assessment and Rating Board of the National Medical Commission for the purpose of renewal in accordance with the prescribed time schedule.

Further admissions shall not be made at any stage unless the requirements laid down in relevant Minimum Standard Requirement Regulations for annual MBBS admissions and phase-wise requirements for the grant of permission under section 10A are fulfilled.

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