Five Old Government Medical Colleges Lack Seats In High-Demand Branches Across Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: Five outdated government medical colleges in the state are lacking Doctor of Medicine (DM) seats in numerous sought-after super-speciality fields, according to medical professionals. The high-demand areas encompass Clinical Haematology, Neonatology, Rheumatology/Clinical Immunology, Medical Genetics, Hepatology, Paediatric Neurology, Paediatric Gastroenterology, Neuroimaging and Interventional Neuroradiology, Clinical Pharmacology and Geriatric Medicine.

Experts argue that specialties like Paediatric Neurology, Paediatric Gastroenterology, Neuroradiology and Neonatology are fiercely competitive and demand DM programs.

However, the five principal government medical institutions in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Rewa are conspicuously absent in offering DM courses in most of these branches. Notably, even Gandhi Medical College (GMC) in Bhopal has not yet established Paediatric Neurology and Cardiology departments, despite receiving state government sanction.

Some colleges even seem to be missing Endocrinology departments. UDA general secretary Dr Yashveer Gurjar explained that the allocation of DM seats hinges upon the presence of competent faculty in the respective departments, as per guidelines from the National Medical Commission (NMC). To augment DM seat availability, Gurjar emphasized the need to bolster faculty numbers.

Pushp Raj Singh Baghel, registrar of Madhya Pradesh Ayurvigyan Vishwavidyalaya, concurred with the faculty shortage issue. He stressed that medical colleges cannot apply for DM affiliation without the requisite faculty, and consequently, DM seats remain unallocated. Baghel advocated for the presence of DM seats in at least the five older medical colleges in Madhya Pradesh.