Dental MD course nod for Siliguri college

Siliguri, June 22.TT: A one-member inspection team from the state health department has given its nod to start post-graduate courses in North Bengal Dental College and Hospital from the next academic session but the institution has to get an approval from the Dental Council of India to start the programme.

The health department had sanctioned 18 post graduate seats for the institution on May 31.

“The college had sent a proposal to Swastha Bhawan in mid-May for 18 PG seats. The director of medical education had approved the proposal and gave the college an essentiality certificate on May 31. I am conducting an inspection on behalf of the West Bengal University of Health Sciences (WBUHS). The college is constructing a new building that will provide sufficient space for the (PG) classrooms,” said Rabindranath Maity, a deputy secretary of the state health department in Calcutta.

A new academic wing, hospital and a student hostel are coming up on the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital premises for the dental college. According to officials, the structures will be ready by August.

“The WBUHS will send the necessary documents of approval to the college next week. The college will then send a proposal to the Dental Council of India seeking their sanction. They are likely to get the approval before the next academic session,” Maity added.

The dental college that has a strength of 200 students was accorded the status of a hospital in January.

“Officials from the DCI had come on a routine visit to the college last month and asked us to apply for PG courses after surveying our new building. We will have to apply to the DCI once WBUHS grants us the affiliation. It is essential that we apply before June 30 because that is when all applications for the next academic session (in July) have to reach the DCI,” said an official.

The dental college with an intake capacity of 50 students offers bachelor degrees in oral surgery, conservative dentistry, oral pathology, periodontics, paedodontia, prosthetics dentistry and orthodontia.

“There are professors and associate professors in each of the seven departments, which is one of the main requirement for starting PG courses,” Maity said.

The institution has 20 faculty members and the classes are held from a rented building on the NBMCH campus. Officials said the classrooms would be shifted to the new facility once it was ready.

“The DCI will specify certain conditions like appointing more faculty members in the ranks of professors and associate professors and installing more instruments in different departments. We will have to fulfill these requirements after which the courses can be started,” Maity added.