First Medical College under PPP to start in Agartala

Agartala, Aug 2: In a major boost towards world standard medical education and the field of modern healthcare facilities in the North-East, Tripura Medical College (TMC) and Dr B R Ambedkar Memorial teaching hospital here at Hapania will start the first session of its MBBS course from this month.

The Rs 120 crore project of Tripura Medical College, promoted by Global Education Net (GENET) in collaboration with the Government of Tripura, is the first Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in the entire country. It is also the largest private investment in health care education in the entire N E region. The college is affiliated to the Tripura University.

The TMC is also the first private medical college in the N E.

With the establishment of the TMC, Agartala has also achieved the distinction of being the only North Eastern city to have two medical colleges.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has given the approval to TMC for admiting hundred students for the academic year 2006-07.

Following the MCI approval, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also given the Letter of Permission (LoP) in this regard.

Of the total intake capacity, 25 students are already nominated by the Tripura Government as per the agreement signed earlier with GENET. The remaining 75 seats would belong to the management.

Students from South-East Asia as well as the West Asia will comprise the bulk. The admission process has already begun and thousands of aspiring candidates have appeared in the Common Entrance Test (CET) throughout the country.

The TMC which is equipped with all modern electronic gadgets and life saving devices, will soon be upgraded from the existing 350 bed to 500 bed hospital. Another 200 beds will be added soon for super speciality purposes.

Speaking to reporters here, Chairman of GENET K Balachandran Nair said the purpose of the hospital is to make it a healthcare institution rather than just a hospital. Flow of doctors has already started from various parts of India, informed Mr Nair.

UNI