The college is expected to begin classes in 2011-12. The committee has also cleared the proposal for 150 seats in the college.

Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda briefing the media after the meeting said the decision of the sub-committee would go before the Cabinet for final clearance. The management had been running an engineering college. It has infrastructure facilities required for a medical college and the hospital would be ready in a year. The State government would get 42 per cent of the total seats allocated for the new college and these seats would be filled up by the Common Entrance Test (CET).

The minister further said the proposal had been cleared by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. After obtaining final clearance from the Cabinet, the proposal would be referred to the authorities concerned, which would inspect the location and review the infrastructure facilities before giving its nod.

No patients
Answering to a question, the minister said that many medical colleges had been facing shortage of patients. “Medical colleges cannot function without patients. Students need patients for practical classes. In case of shortage of patients, many students have to work on single patient,” he said.

Lack of infrastructure facility was alone not the cause for poor turnout of patients but locality of the colleges also matter, he added.

The committee has cleared the proposal for launching health inspector diploma course at Hole Huchcheshwara Paramedical Institute in Badami. The committee cleared 20 seats for the course, which would begin from the academic year 2010-11.
DH News Service