Bhubaneswar: The newly built Medical College and Hospital (MCH) in Jajpur district is all set to start functioning from this year as the National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved 50 MBBS seats for the medical college for the academic session 2024-25.
Sharing this news on X, Health and Family Welfare Department today said, “Happy to share that 50 MBBS seats have been approved by National Medical Commission, MARB, New Delhi for the Academic Year 2024-25 for the new Government MCH at Jajpur.”
The Letter of Permission (LoP) was issued by the NMC on July 4, making it the 12th Government MCH in the state and the first to start operations this year.
Dr Sitaram Mahapatro, dean and principal of the medical college said that the institute was ready to welcome the inaugural batch of MBBS students.
While 120 faculty members including professors, associate professors, assistant professors, senior residents and tutors have already joined the Medical College, the existing 420-bed district headquarters hospital will be used as teaching hospital, he said.
Construction of a new 500-bed hospital on the campus is nearing completion, Mahapatro said.
Out of the 50 MBBS seats, seven will be filled through the All India Quota, while the remaining 47 will be admitted via the Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE).
“We initially applied for 100 MBBS seats, but the NMC has approved 50. We have requested the commission to consider increasing the seat allocation to 100 for this academic year,” he added.
Built at a cost of over Rs 500 crore at Ankula on the outskirts of Jajpur, the MCH has been named as Jajati Keshari medical college and hospital.
With the approval for 50 MBBS seats, the total number of government medical colleges in the State rose to 12 and seats to 1,600.