Chandigarh
The state Government of Punjab made an announcement on Friday regarding the entrance test for the MBBS and BDS courses in medical colleges of the state.
The Government said that the tests would be conducted in the month of May this year. According to Anil Joshi, the state's medical education and research minister, the Government has already passed on the required instructions to the concerned officers and directed them to ensure that proper arrangements are in place.
The minister issued the instructions in a meeting attended by secretary Husan Lal, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences' vice-chancellor, Dr Raj Bahadur and the principals of state's dental and medical colleges.
Joshi also told that the department has forwarded its demand for increasing the number of MBBS seats in the colleges of Patiala and Amritsar, to the MCI (Medical Council of India). The MCI would come out with its decision soon.
He was hopeful of getting a sum of 42 crore from the Central Government as a part of Prime Minister's Health Security Scheme and said that the state Government would also contribute a matching grant of Rs 18 crore.
According to him, these funds would be utilized to upgrade the medical infrastructure in colleges and to give a push to the health services in the state.