Nepal adds 418 seats at public medical colleges — Kathmandu Post
In Nepal, the Medical Education Commission increased the number of seats at public medical colleges by 418 for the next academic year. A total of 9,691 seats were allocated for medicine and other health science programmes, while 77,359 applicants registered for the integrated entrance examinations, Kathmandu Post reports.
Education and Sports Minister and commission co-chair Sasmit Pokharel said the number of seats increased only at public institutions, while quotas at private medical colleges remained unchanged. According to him, the decision is intended to give high-achieving students an opportunity to study at public institutions at lower cost. At public medical colleges, 75% of seats are intended for students studying on scholarships, while at private institutions scholarships are usually received by 10–20% of students.
New MBBS seats
For MBBS programmes at public institutions, 110 seats were added. The Shahid Dasharath Chand University of Health Sciences in Geta, Sudurpashchim Province, was authorised for 50 MBBS seats for the first time. Another 30 seats each were added to the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan and the Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences.
The commission also added 120 seats for BSc Nursing programmes and 98 for Bachelor of Medical Science programmes. According to commission Joint Secretary Hari Prasad Niraula, the seats were distributed among 84 of the 90 institutions that submitted self-assessment forms to obtain authorisation for the next academic year.
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Criticism over the programme in Geta
Medical education reform activist Professor Dr Govinda KC called for the authorisation for the MBBS programme in Geta to be revoked, stating that the institution allegedly lacks the necessary infrastructure and staff. He also demanded that the decision to increase seats at the Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences be cancelled. In KC's view, launching programmes without meeting infrastructure, staffing and legal standards could worsen the quality of medical education.
KC said that a hospital with at least 300 beds must operate for medical education in Geta. He also claims that the authorities are allegedly trying to count beds at neighbouring public hospitals in order to meet this requirement. The commission, for its part, said the seat allocation was based on inspection reports prepared by expert teams.
The entrance examinations are scheduled to begin on Saturday and continue until November 4. The MBBS examination is scheduled for October 31, the BDS examination for November 1, and the BSc Nursing examination for November 2. The tests will be held from 11:00 to 14:00 at designated centres. They are being conducted about a month later than stipulated by the academic calendar.
