NMC inspection round the corner, GMC Anantnag campus far from completion

With National Medical Commission (NMC) all set to conduct the third inspection of the newly-established Government Medical College (GMC) in Anantnag, the campus buildings are still far from completion.

The college which got the approval of 100 MBBS seats in 2019 from MCI (now NMC) has two batches.

However, it is still operating from makeshift accommodation in the GMC hospital at Janglat Mandi, an erstwhile district hospital building.

The then Union Health Minister J P Nadda and the then chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had laid the foundation stone of the campus located in the outskirts of the town at Dialgam in May 2016.

An official said that even as December 2020 was set as the final deadline of the Rs 133 crore project, Jammu Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC), which was entrusted with the construction work, had failed to construct even a single block of the 10 blocks.

“At least the lecture block and laboratory buildings should have been handed over to medical college authorities by now,” said an official in GMC Anantnag.

He said that the NMC team had during their last inspection emphasized on getting these two blocks ready before their next inspection.

“We were hoping that the team would at least be satisfied to see the class work and lab functional from the campus but that hasn’t happened,” an official said.

He said this inspection would be followed by another next year and that would decide the recognition been granted to the college.

“If the JKPCC doesn’t speed up the work, we may lose a chance of recognition,” an official said.

He said that though the lecture hall and lab block structure were complete, interior work was yet to be done.

“The work on the administrative and library block has still not been completed while it is far behind in the two departmental works,” an official said.

He said that the hostel buildings for boys and girls; faculty and principal quarters were also incomplete.

“The work on the project is going on at a snails’ pace. It remained on a halt for around a year and resumed only a month back,” an official said.

He said that the campus was yet to get electric supply and water facility and was also without drainage, STP, roads and walls.

“The landscaping has not been carried yet,” an official said.

Principal GMC Anantnag, Dr Showkat Jeelani said that they had written to JKPCC to at least finish work on the classroom and lab block on a priority basis.

“We are eagerly waiting for them to hand over these blocks to us with all the required facilities,” he said.

General Manager JKPCC Showkat Ahmad assured that the project would be completed this summer.

“Almost 70 percent of the project is complete.  We will hand over the lecture hall and lab block to the authorities by June and subsequently other blocks too,” Ahmad said.

He attributed the delay in the project to the non-availability of labour last year due to pandemic.

“We will equip the campus with all those facilities that are within the scope of DPR,” Ahmad said.