The Indian Institue of Technology, a premier educational institution, of Kharagpur, is all set to launch medical courses. The batches for MBBS will start from 2019 and will have 50 students in each batch,
The organization is planning for a 400 bed hospital on campus and will be admitting patients from the mid-term of 2018. Only after the hospital is up and running, will the organization approach the Medical Council of India. Sriman Kumar Bhattacharya, the deputy director of IIT-K speaking to the media said, “For the first MBBS batch, we will restrict the number of candidates to 50.” He also said the degree will be awarded by IIT Kharagpur.
The deputy director added, “We will be at liberty to conduct our own entrance examination and not necessarily admit students from NEET. The IITs are governed by a separate law, which enables them to hold their own admission exams, like for engineering courses. Admissions to engineering take place through IIT-JEE (Advanced.) A final decision is yet to be taken.” Bhattacharya also explained the reason behind the introduction of MBBS. He said, “The purpose is to cater to the needs of local patients as well as the institute. We want this to be a research hospital and patients should benefit from the technological developments at IIT.”
The hospital will be a super specialty one and will include departments like cardiology, neurology, outpatient and basic medical diagnoses. Bhattacharya said, “The hospital will run as a special purpose vehicle under a registered society with a Board of Governors at the helm. The society will be registered under the West Bengal Registration Act. The IIT-Kgp director will be the chairman of the board.”
Many hospitals have already approached the institution for managing the hospital and its operations. In regard to the facilities, Bhattacharya said, “We aim to introduce videography during treatment, with the patient’s permission. This will allow us to gather information, which can be transmitted anywhere across the globe to other doctors, who can then go through the treatment procedure and records to make recommendations.”
The institution has already received permission to start the curriculum from Human Resource and Development Ministry (HRD.) Once opened, it is expected to produce excellent doctors from the premier institute.
