IIT Kharagpur Awaits NMC Nod to Launch New MD Programme

• IIT Kharagpur awaits NMC nod for MD programme launch.
• Offers 10-20 seats; training at SPMSH with 220 beds.
• Focus on tech-driven medical research, MBBS plan paused.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur is gearing up to be a part of the medical field through its proposed Doctor of Medicine (MD) course, which is still to be ratified by the National Medical Council (NMC). The institute has prepared all the required paperwork and will submit its form when the NMC portal is accessible.

According to IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty, the institute is loaded with manpower resources like doctors, medical experts, med tech researchers as well as program advisors who are highly qualified. While talking to The Indian Express, Chakraborty said, “Introducing a postgraduate medical programme at IIT would be the perfect fit that not only strengthens the existing capabilities but also enables us to offer advanced medical studies and research, driven by cutting-edge technology.”

Recently, the institute made a presentation of the proposal to its Board of Governors, thus indicating the commitment of the governing council. Conforming to NMC sanction, the MD programme is anticipated to provide 10-20 seats, with hands-on training at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Institute of Medical Sciences & Research (SPMSH), which is a bit far away from the IIT campus.

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The hospital, an independent legal entity under IIT Kharagpur’s umbrella, has undergone a hospital upgrade where it has a fully operational inpatient department along with an outpatient department. This graduation has been made to support the hospital which is the basic requirement of medical education.

SPMSH, last but not least, accomplished its very first surgery in the newly established operation theatre. The surgery was led by the senior surgeon Dr. R K Behera who removed a foreign body successfully. The patient was discharged on the same day of the surgery. The hospital is going for a 220-bed inpatient facility to increase the surgical and specialty care capabilities.

Dr. B C Roy Multi-Speciality Medical Research Centre was being set up, IIT Kharagpur had plans to start an MBBS course but later the school decided to abandon the plan due to lack of adequate facilities. The decision to invest in the MD programme indicates a turn from the traditional approach to one more innovative that capitalizes on the technological strength of the institute for the advancement of medical education and research.