THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Dhanbad, July 10: In an effort to resolve the ongoing shortage of cadavers in state-run medical colleges, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Health, Ajoy Kumar Singh, has written to the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of five districts—East Singhbhum (Jamshedpur), Dhanbad, Dumka, Hazaribagh, and Palamu—asking them to ensure the availability of unclaimed bodies for their respective medical colleges.
According to official sources, copies of the directive have also been sent to the Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) of the five districts, as well as to principals and superintendents of the concerned medical colleges. The move is aimed at strengthening the anatomy departments, where cadavers are a crucial teaching resource.
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Cadaver Shortage Hits New Medical Colleges
The National Medical Commission (NMC) mandates one cadaver for every 10 MBBS students studying anatomy. Each of the five state-run medical colleges—Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital (MGMMCH), Jamshedpur; Shaheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital (SNMMCH), Dhanbad; Phulo Jhano Medical College Hospital (PJMCH), Dumka; Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College Hospital (SBMCH), Hazaribagh; and Medinirai Medical College Hospital (MMCH), Palamu—has 100 MBBS seats and requires a minimum of 10 cadavers to meet this requirement.
While MGMMCH and SNMMCH currently do not face a cadaver crisis, the newer colleges—SBMCH, MMCH, and PJMCH—are struggling to obtain sufficient bodies for first-year anatomy classes.
One principal, speaking anonymously, revealed that in some cases, cadavers had to be brought in from SNMMCH Dhanbad or the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi.
“The ACS Health’s directive to the DCs will certainly help resolve the long-standing issue of cadaver availability,” the principal added.
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SNMMCH Well-Stocked, But Welcomes Move
SNMMCH Principal Dr. S.K. Chourasia confirmed that his college currently has no shortage of cadavers. “However, the ACS Health’s order will be helpful if we plan to increase MBBS seats in the future,” he said.
Steps Taken to Increase MBBS Seats
In a related development, ACS Health Singh has initiated efforts to raise MBBS seat capacity in government medical colleges.
On Tuesday, he held a joint video conference with principals and superintendents of all five colleges, seeking status reports on existing deficiencies that may hinder seat expansion. These steps are seen as part of a broader plan to improve the quality and capacity of medical education in Jharkhand.
