SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Feb 1: Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital (SNMMCH) Dhanbad has regained approval for 100 MBBS seats after six years from the National Medical Commission (NMC).
SNMMCH principal Dr Jyotiranjan Prasad after receiving a mail in this regard from NMC today said that 100 MBBS seat approval has been given from 2023-24 academic sessions.
With the increase of 50 MBBS seats (total 100) to SNMMCH, now the total number of MBBS seats in Jharkhand has become 500.
“The credit goes to dedicated teachers, staff, and state government for regaining 100 MBBS seats permission. Now immediately, I would launch all efforts for permission for postgraduate (PG) course in the institution from NMC,” said Dr Prasad.
At present, SNMMCH Dhanbad had only 50 MBBS seats admission approval while the state government-owned four other medical colleges MGMMCH Jamshedpur, PJ MCH Dumka, SBMCH Hazaribag and MMCH Palamu have 100 MBBS seats each.

In 2013, the then Medical Council of India (NMC) had given 100 MBBS seat approval altogether to the then Patliputra Medical College Hospital ( now named SNMMCH) Dhanbad and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital (MGMMCH) Jamshedpur.
Three years later in 2017, MCI reduced 50 MBBS seats from 100 of PMCH Dhanbad due to deficiencies in infrastructure, senior teachers in faculties and doctors in the hospital. Since then, the college and the state government had been trying hard to get 100 MBBS seats approval.
Even newly opened government-owned three medical colleges in Palamu, Dumka and Hazaribag were given 100 MBBS seats’ approval starting in 2019.
Though deficiencies of senior teachers in different faculties still existed as departments of eye, skin, anaesthesia, gynaecology, physiology, biochemistry, paediatrics, FMT, PSM and others are functioning without professors and college authority. The said process of filling vacant posts is on and all would be done soon.
Prof UK Ojha, HoD medicine, Dr Ganesh Kumar, examination in-charge, Dr Krishna Kumar, HoD physiology and other senior teachers congratulated the principal for restoring 100 MBBS seats.