Pune: NMC Notice Threatens PMC’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College Approval
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 17th July 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is under intense pressure to construct a 430-bed hospital within the next four months in order to retain the approval for its ambitious Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College. The project now risks cancellation after the National Medical Commission (NMC) flagged major lapses, including the absence of the promised hospital infrastructure.
Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, while chairing a crucial meeting on Thursday with officials of the medical education department, acknowledged that the medical college project was launched without a concrete plan for the supporting hospital. He admitted that this oversight has now created a serious hurdle for PMC.
The NMC, which had initially approved the medical college based on PMC’s assurance of constructing a 430-bed hospital, issued a notice last month raising concerns over the lack of essential facilities and non-compliance with regulatory norms. The Commission has sought an explanation as to why the college’s approval should not be revoked and why a penalty of ₹1 crore should not be imposed on the civic body.
Facing the looming threat, PMC has chalked out a two-pronged strategy. First, it aims to construct a 280-bed hospital on the premises of the Naidu Community Hospital — the originally proposed site. However, the area is riddled with encroachments, making the task even more daunting.
Second, the Kamala Nehru Hospital will be upgraded and integrated into the medical college’s infrastructure, with an increase in bed capacity.
“This is a major challenge, but we have accepted it. While planning for a medical college, it is true that we overlooked the hospital requirement. Now, we are removing encroachments at Naidu and will construct a new hospital there. In addition, Kamala Nehru Hospital will be upgraded,” said Commissioner Ram.
The estimated cost for the new hospital setup is ₹700 crore, and PMC is seeking funding from the state government. Meetings with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar have already been initiated. Until the funds are sanctioned, the PMC plans to bear the cost from its own budget or even raise a loan if necessary, Ram said.
The medical college itself, whose construction is already 90% complete, is projected to cost ₹700 crore. Combined with the hospital component, the total financial outlay for the entire project will reach ₹1,400 crore.
Meanwhile, PMC has also started the process of recruiting faculty and staff. Previous attempts to hire professors on 11-month contracts failed due to lack of response. The civic administration is now exploring the possibility of offering longer tenure appointments to attract qualified professionals. The structure for recruiting doctors, nurses, and hospital staff has been finalized, and recruitment is expected to begin in the coming days.
As PMC races against the clock, the coming months will be critical for the future of Pune’s only civic-run medical college.
