With the demand for medical seats in the state increasing every year, the state government has sought approval from the Medical Council of India (MCI) to increase the intake in medical colleges by 1,200 seats for the next academic year 2012-13. The state currently has 4,800 MBBS seats in 37 medical colleges. There is an acute shortage of MBBS seats in the state, since about 70,000 students are competing for these seats in the Eamcet medical exams every year.
A proposal by the government has been submitted on 31st August 2011 for increasing the MBBS intake to the MCI. The government has asked for an increase of 50 seats each in 10 government medical colleges, besides seeking approval for 100 seats in the new medical college being set up at Nizamabad. The private medical colleges have submitted proposals for increase in intake by another 600 seats. If the new proposals get MCI approval, the MBBS seats in the state will increase to 6,000 from the present 4,800.
In a massive drive to meet the MCI requirements, both the private and government sector colleges are preparing themselves and installing every thing needed in place. Each college has to pay Rs.2 lakh to seek inspection from the MCI to grant approvals. The state even released Rs.20 lakh to MCI to conduct inspections in 10 colleges for the purpose.
The medical education department has initiated all possible efforts to secure additional seats in state-run medical colleges. It has also launched a massive promotion drive in the department to meet the norms of the MCI. Several assistant professors were promoted to professors, and professors to heads of departments in various medical colleges.
The MCI is expected to send inspection teams to the state in October. The entire inspection process is expected to be completed by December and approvals grated by March 2012.