Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, JP Nadda has assured that the Centre will seriously consider increase in quota of medical seats for Nagaland in various medical colleges in India.
This was conveyed to Nagaland Health minister, S. Pangnyu Phom, who called on Nadda Saturday at his office chambers here.
Earlier, Pangnyu apprised Nadda about the need for more medical seats to students from the state and also about the proposed medical college in Kohima. He justified the demand for additional medical seats on the ground that unlike most states, Nagaland has no medical college despite growing demands each year. While most states in north east have at least one medical institute and some having at least two or more, Nagaland is still without it despite its long pending demand.
It may also be recalled that minister for Higher and Technical Education, Imna Along had also assured the All Nagaland College Students’ Union to arrange additional MBBS and BDS seats for students of the state from next academic session. He had also told the delegation that he would ask for special quota for Nagaland in these courses.
Earlier, Union MoS for Health, Ashwini Kumar Choubey had informed the Parliament that there are 479 medical colleges in the country with an intake capacity of 67,352 MBBS seats. 13,004 MBBS seats have been added in the last three years, he said.
Choubey also said that the government is implementing a centrally-sponsored scheme for the establishment of new medical colleges attached with district/referral hospitals in 58 districts in 20 states and union territories in under- served areas of the country.
There are other centrally sponsored schemes for increasing UG and PG seats in the existing government medical colleges, he said.