Kathmandu. The Medical Education Commission has increased the number of seats for subjects including MBBS in government medical colleges for the upcoming academic session. The integrated entrance exam is being conducted from next Saturday (October 14) for admission to 9,691 seats determined by the commission. 77 thousand 359 students have applied for the entrance exam.
According to Sasmit Pokharel, Co-Chairman of the Commission and Minister of Education, 418 seats have been added this year compared to last year. He informed that the number of seats in private colleges has been kept the same and seats have been increased in government educational institutions. “The purpose of this is not to discourage the private sector, but to give Jehendar students the opportunity to study in government educational institutions at low fees,” he wrote on Facebook.
There is a provision to study on scholarship in 75 percent of the scheduled seats in government medical colleges. In private medical colleges, only 10 to 20 percent students get the opportunity to study on scholarship. The fee for MBBS studies is fixed between 40 to 44 lakh rupees. Minister Pokharel has informed that 110 seats have been added in government medical colleges only in MBBS.
Shahid Dashrath Chand University of Health Sciences at Geta in Sudurpaschim Province has got 50 seats in MBBS for the first time. According to the commission, 30/30 seats have been added in Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and Nepali Army Institute of Health Sciences.
Despite the government’s claim that the opportunity to study medical education has been expanded in government educational institutions, the decision to increase seats and conduct new programs has been disputed. Medical education reform engineer professor Dr. Govind KC has demanded the annulment of the decision saying that MBBS program was allowed to run in Shaheed Dashrath Chand University of Health Sciences in Geta without necessary infrastructure and manpower.
Dr. KC has issued a statement and demanded that the decision to increase the number of seats in the Institute of Health Sciences run by the Nepali Army be revoked. According to him, the quality of medical education will be compromised if educational programs are allowed to run without meeting the necessary infrastructure, manpower and legal standards. He mentioned that this may affect the production of skilled doctors and nurses as well as endanger the health and lives of the common people. He has also warned to protest if the demand is not met.
Hariprasad Niraula, joint secretary of the commission said that seats have been fixed in 84 out of 90 educational institutions this year. For seat determination, 90 educational institutions had filled the self-evaluation form and demanded the seat. According to the Commission, 120 seats have been increased in BSc Nursing and 98 seats in BMS. The rest of the increased seats are for other subjects. A meeting held before Dasain under the chairmanship of Prime Minister and Commission Chairman Walendra Shah decided to increase seats only in government medical colleges. Last year, 9,273 seats were allocated in 16 educational programs of medical education including MBBS, BDS, Nursing. But only 8,548 students were enrolled.
According to the schedule published by the commission, the entrance exam will be conducted till 18 October. MBBS entrance exam will be held on 14 October and BDS entrance exam will be held on 15 October. Similarly, the commission said that the exam for B.Sc Nursing will be held on October 16, BMMS, BNS and BPharmacy on October 17 and BPH on October 18. All the exams will be conducted from 11 AM to 2 PM at designated centers.
The commission is going to conduct the entrance exam about a month later than the time specified in the academic calendar. The calendar mentions that the entrance exam will be held in the third week of October. When the exam is delayed, it is seen that the time of admission and commencement of studies is also affected. The government’s delay in appointing officials of the commission has affected the admission process of medical education. The appointment was delayed after the government dismissed the officials including the vice-chairman of the commission by bringing an ordinance last May. Due to the absence of officers, the entrance exam application was delayed. From Ekantipur