NMC grants permission for Bhongir Medical College

Bhongir: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has finally granted permission for the establishment of the government medical college in the district headquarters. This decision brings relief to the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the approval of the medical college.

A year ago, a government medical college was sanctioned for the district, and the state health department had been preparing to upgrade the district hospital into a teaching hospital and commence the medical college from the old collectorate building on the outskirts of the town from this academic year.

In this regard, the district hospital, which was under the Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP), was brought under the jurisdiction of the Director of Medical Education (DME), and most of the required positions across various categories were filled as per the medical college guidelines.

However, the NMC had been withholding the crucial Letter of Intent (preliminary approval) for the college for some time. During the first inspection by the NMC team on June 23, several deficiencies were identified in the proposed building for the medical college at the district hospital. After the state government submitted a proposal to rectify these deficiencies, the NMC conducted another online inspection at the end of July. Despite this, approval was not granted.

After making further improvements, officials submitted a third appeal, and finally, the NMC granted approval for the establishment of the college.

With the approval for a medical college in the district, healthcare services are expected to improve significantly. Already, 54 professors from various specialties have joined the teaching hospital, which will operate with 220 beds.

These professors are already providing outpatient services at the district hospital. As part of the hospital expansion, work has begun to add an additional floor to the existing district hospital building. Until now, patients from the district had to travel to Hyderabad for emergency medical services. With the upgraded facilities at the district hospital, many advanced medical services will now be available locally, eliminating the need for patients to travel to Hyderabad.

Principal of the Government Medical College, stated, “ The college will initially start with 50 seats. We have already received the required posts for the operation of the college and beds have been arranged. Preparations have been made in the building where the college will function.”