BHOPAL, July 20 : The Madhya Pradesh government will not allow the setting UP of private medical colleges in the state without the permission of the Medical Council of India (MCI), according to the State Medical Education Minister Narendra Nahata. He said the government would accord the ``desirability and essentiability'' certificate, a pre-requisite for securing the Union Government's permission, only after a team of experts submitted favourable reports about the existence of necessary infrastructure in the medical colleges. The minister was reacting to reports that the government was going ahead with a proposal to give clearance to the proposed medical colleges at Sagr, Mandsaur and Bilaspur, which did not meet basic requirements of land, staff and hospital, fixed by the MCI.

He said the promoters of the proposed medical colleges were prepared to give two bank guarantees worth Rs seven crore, promising to set up 700-bed hospitals and create other facilities within the stipulated period of four years, as had been made obligatory by the MCI. He made it clear that chances of starting these colleges by the coming academic session were remote, keeping in view the time involved in completing formalities and fulfilling conditions set by MCI.

Nahata said the government's new medical education policy helped private medical colleges to avail of various infrastructural facilities like hospitals at the time of opening of the institutions. This was in conformity with the MCI's guidelines for new private medical colleges, he said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.