Jamia Millia may partner with Holy Family for medical college

Jamia Millia Islamia may opt to strike a partnership with the local Holy Family Hospital, as it is struggles to identify land for its proposed medical college. 

The varsity will need a functional 300-bed hospital to run medical college, as per the Medical Council of India (MCI) norms. 

“Jamia already has a dental college and a 100-bed Ansari Health Centre,” Jamia Vice Chancellor Talat Ahmad said, explaining how by entering into a partnership with the hospital in its neighbourhood the varsity can meet the MCI norms. 

Located on the Okhla Road, Holy Family is a multi-speciality hospital run by the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese. 

The hospital was set up on the varsity land and its lease will soon run out, Ahmad told Deccan Herald. However, he said the university has no plans of reclaiming the land. 

“We want to become partners, and for that, they should be willing to open the facility to our students,” the Jamia VC said. But the varsity is yet to pitch their proposal to the hospital authorities. 

If the partnership works out, he said, the university will be able to house the proposed medical institution in its existing campus. 

“In keeping with the MCI norms, the medical facility should be within a two kilometre radius,” Ahmad said.  

Jamia’s ambitious bid of opening up a medical college-cum-hospital suffered a setback after the Supreme Court in October 2014 had disapproved the haste shown by Delhi government in acquiring and transferring of the disputed land in south Delhi to the university.  

Questions regarding title of land arose after Uttar Pradesh government claimed the land to be in its ownership and possession.

The VC said he will also write to the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh governments, asking them to settle the dispute on a 114-acre property, where the proposed medical facility was supposed to come up.