The Jharkhand government is planning to increase 258 medical seats at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in its undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG), and super-speciality courses. This move aims to strengthen the state's healthcare infrastructure and medical education.
Proposal for Seat Expansion
Health department's additional chief secretary (ACS) Ajoy Kumar Singh, in a letter to the RIMS director sent on Tuesday, asked him to prepare a detailed proposal to increase the seats and get it approved by the RIMS governing body council. Singh stated that the governing body will send the approved proposal to the state government and the health department. Thereafter, the department will assess the proposal and forward it to the Centre for increasing medical seats in the premier healthcare institution of the state. The proposal can also include renovation plans for old buildings, demolition of dilapidated and unusable structures for construction of new buildings, and development of additional infrastructure as required.
Proposed Seat Increases
According to sources, seats would be increased from 180 to 250 in UG courses, from 176 to 275 in PG courses, and from 11 to 100 in super-speciality courses. Singh added that financial assistance of Rs 1.5 crore per additional seat is provided for increasing UG, PG, and super-speciality seats in medical colleges under the centrally sponsored scheme (CSS) of the Union government to strengthen and upgrade government medical facilities. Following the seat upgradation, around Rs 387 crore will be sanctioned for infrastructural upgradation of RIMS.
Previous Approvals for Other Colleges
Proposals to increase UG seats at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGMMCH) in Jamshedpur from 150 to 250 and PG seats from 49 to 200 under the CSS have received Union government approval. Similarly, the proposal to raise UG seats at the Shaheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College and Hospital (SNMMCH) in Dhanbad from 100 to 250 and PG seats from 19 to 200 also received approval from the Centre in May. Singh said that an ambitious expansion plan is now being prepared for RIMS, and all these steps are being taken to strengthen Jharkhand's healthcare facility and reduce the lack of doctors persisting in the state.
