SRINAGAR: Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir will soon get its first Government Medical College and allied facilities.

The new medical college will not only benefit medical students of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts of North Kashmir but also provide better medical facilities to the people of the region.

The construction of the college, which started a few years ago, is currently in full swing. Once ready, it is set to cater to around 1.70 lakh population of North Kashmir

The college will comprise an academic block and a residential block.

The Union government has approved the construction of medical colleges in five districts of Jammu and Kashmir, namely Anantnag, Baramulla, Kathua, Rajouri and Doda.

Dr Javed Choudhary, principal of the college, said: “Staff recruitment will be done at different levels. We will, hopefully, start the first batch of 100 MBBS students from June this year, as soon as we get the permission letter. Students will be selected on the basis of a Common Entrance Test.”

Abdul Razzak, a local resident, said, “The medical college will benefit young practitioners of Baramulla, Bandipura and Kupwara. At present students from this area have to go to Srinagar to complete their training.”

A medical student, Said Yawar Bashir, said excitedly that the college will be a great boon to the region. “It will not only boost the health infrastructure of the district but will also provide jobs to medical practitioners,” he said.

The construction of the college is being carried out by Jammu Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC). (ANI)