Students shocked over closing of Vaishno Devi medical college in Jammu over ‘poor infrastructure’

There is a sense of shock and anxiety among Muslim students, who have started migrating from the campus at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Jammu’s Katra, over the suspension of the MBBS course despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi having inaugurated the state-of-the-art Narayana Superspeciality Hospital.

“We are unable to believe that the college with such infrastructure stands closed. It offered up-to-the-mark facilities in every aspect. One of the best medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir stands closed,” said Aleena, one of the migrating students from the campus.

The admission of a higher number of Muslim students had sparked protests from Hindu groups, who formed a Sangharsh Samiti, and the BJP, which raised the issue with J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.  

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College, one of the ambitious projects of J&K, registered its first batch on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) ranking in October-November 2024. Out of 50 MBBS seats, 42 Muslim students, mostly from Kashmir, qualified for the college.

In a meeting in 2024, J&K Lieutenant Governor and chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Manoj Sinha underscored the need for “sustained excellence in healthcare” through the medical college. During the meeting, the shrine Board granted in-principle approval for the establishment of a 50-seat medical college “in accordance with NMC norms, with provisions for expanding to a 100-seat capacity in the third year”.

In a surprise visit in January this year, the National Medical Commission (NMC) on the basis of inadequacy in “faculty strength, clinical material and infrastructure” withdrew the approval granted just four months ago by it.

“It’s a reckless decision,” another student said.

The staff of the hospital has earned a reputation for guiding other medical colleges in the Jammu division. “Expert doctors at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital have been handholding many medical colleges in the Jammu division, including newly-created Government Medical College, Doda,” a staff member said, on the condition of anonymity.

In an official letter forwarded to the NMC in 2024, the Board said it owned a multi-specialty hospital named Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital to run the medical college.

“The hospital, essential to run a medical college, with a “state-of-the-art facility, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2016. This hospital has been operational since 2016 and has 417 beds to accommodate various patients admitted to the speciality and super-speciality departments. In addition to all the basic facilities, including medical, surgical, and allied specialities required for the establishment of a medical college, this hospital has more than ten super-specialties with renowned doctors providing patient care,” the Board’s letter to the NMC stated.

The Board shared an approved plan with the NMC “to accommodate all the specialities and super-specialities as per the patient load and the requirements of the Commission”.

In its proposal, the Board aimed at 100 seats for MBBS, 60 for nursing college and a hostel for 500 students and doctors. The medical college is spread over 34 acres of land. At present, the hospital has 121 doctors on its rolls.

Meanwhile, the student wings of ruling National Conference (NC) held a street protest in Jammu and demanded restoration of the MBBS course at the college.

“Distributing sweets and playing music on closure of a medical college shows intellectual bankruptcy. This is not the true picture of Jammu. A large section in Jammu opposes the closure and demands the continuation of the medical courses in the larger public interest,” a NC leader said, during the protest.

Carrying placards, ‘Justice for Jammu & Kashmir’ and ‘Education over politics’, the NC members said there was an attempt to project the issue “as a regional divide”. “The fact is that the closure of the medical college would severely affect aspiring medical students and healthcare infrastructure in the area. The future of students should not be jeopardised due to political pressure or divisive agendas,” the NC members said.