The government medical college in Karnataka's Koppal called the Kopal Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) may soon be able to start postgraduate (PG) courses soon. The college has been running since the academic year 2014-15 with an intake of 150 students, but it is only now that the college has met most of the requisite infrastructure.

The government had to give an undertaking of ensuring requisite infrastructure and faculty to the Supreme a couple of years ago in order to get clearance from the Medical Council of India (MCI), now known as the National Medical Council (NMC), which is the apex body to regulate medical education. 

The KIMC Director Vijayanath Itagi said that a team of officials from the NMC has commenced a department-wise inspection of the college so that medical PG education can be started from this academic year. While the first batch of MBBS holders has already completed their internships, the second batch is yet to complete theirs.

The college has over 20 departments including Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, Forensic medicines, and Biochemistry. The NMC team has already completed an inspection of the department of medicines, pediatrics, anesthesia, surgery medicines, and orthopedics. In fact, the college was supposed to begin its PG education but COVD-19 delayed the same. Construction of a 450-bed hospital is underway, it is adjacent to the college, which could be upgraded to a 1,000-bed hospital once the NMC accords its approval for PG education, Itagi said.

Meanwhile, another proposal for the transformation of the college hospital with super-specialty facilities is being explored. The college intake is likely to be increased to 200 with 80 per cent of the medical seats reserved for the Kalkyan-Karnataka region under the special status, Itagi added.