In what can be termed as a major jolt for Uttar Pradesh government’s efforts to produce more doctors for posting in rural areas, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday announced to cut down more than 2,100 seats for admissions in MBBS course in four state-run and 12 private medical colleges.

The step has been taken after the recommendations of the Medical Council of India.

The move will cause a severe setback to the state government’s plan for producing more MBBS doctors and their recruitment to improve medical and health services in villages. The state is already facing acute shortage of more than 3,000 MBBS doctors in state-run government hospitals, PHCs and CHCs.

With the MCI squeezing number MBBS seats in Uttar Pradesh, candidates seeking admissions in MBBS course are left in lurch as they will face stiff competition during counselling and will have less choices of medical colleges to pursue the course.

As per Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare directives, the ministry has denied permission for admission into MBBS course on 400 seats in state government hospitals in Banda, Azamgarh, Saharanpur and Jalaun for the academic session 2018-19.

On the recommendation of the MCI, the ministry has also stalled admissions on over 1700 MBBS seats in 12 private medical colleges, including controversial Prasada Institute of Medical Sciences Luck now. The institute was hogged media headlines when a former Chief Justice was arrested by the CBI for allegedly bribing an Allahabad High Court Judge to get the MCI ban lifted for admissions into MBBS course.

The other private medical institutes where ministry has banned admissions MBBS course are G.S. Medical College Hapur, FH Medical College Ferozabad, Vekteshwar Instutute of Medica Sciences Gajraula, Glocal Medical College and Super Speciality Hospital and Research Centre Saharanpur, Saraswati Medical College Unnao, Varunarjuna Medical College and Hospital Mathura, Mayo Institute of Medical Sciences Bara Banki, Subhahrthi Medical College Meerut and Integral Institute of Medical Sciences Lucknow.

It was a double set-back for Uttar Pradesh as the ministry has also turned down the State Medical Education department’s request seeking permission to begin MBBS course on 100 seats each in its six state government hospitals in Badayun, Faizabad, Ferozabad, Basti, Behraich and Shahjahanpur. This means that the state was denied permission to take admissions on another 600 seats in state-run medical colleges from this academic session.The MCI has also denied permission to Mohd Azam Khan-run newly-opened Jauhar Institute of Medical College Rampur, Dr M.C. Saxena College of Medical Sciences Lucknow and Narain Medical College and Research Centre in private sector. They had applied for 150 MBBS seats each in their private medical colleges from current academic session.

The State Medical Education Minister Ashutosh Tandon had announced last year to open 25 more medical colleges in next four years with 150 seats each for MBBS course and upgrade the above six medical colleges.

But the MCI denied permissions to take admissions in these state-run and private medical colleges due to lack of infrastructure, faculty and other facilities mandatory to run the MBBS course. Buildings in majority of these medical colleges are incomplete and they have not hired teaching staff yet.

Dr KK Gupta, the Director, Medical Education, UP Government said that the state government has already submitted an affidavit to the MCI to fulfill all mandates before counseling for MBBS admissions begins.

“We have the option to go to the Supreme Court. It’s the question of future of hundreds of candidates who have passed the NEET. The result has been announced just now and we are hopeful to complete all MCI requirements by the time counseling begins. We are hopeful to get back these MBBS seats or else we will be left with no option but to knock the doors of the Supreme Court to save future of candidates,” reacted Dr Gupta.