The medical students have been grappling with a major spike in practical training fees at government hospitals in Gujarat.

Undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students at private dental, physiotherapy, nursing, and pharmacy colleges will have to bear double practical training fees as the Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS) has increased the fees.

According to the GMERS circular, for PG students, the hostel facility and hospital infrastructure usage fees have been increased three times, from ₹15,000 to ₹30,000 for BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) and ₹50,000 for PG. Similarly, for physiotherapy students, the monthly fee has been increased from ₹1,000 to ₹3,000.

Nursing fees surge

For BSc nursing colleges, the monthly fee for UG and PG students has been increased from ₹1,000 to ₹3,000. For General and Auxiliary Nursing Colleges, the monthly fee for ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) and GNM (General Nursing and Midwifery) students has been increased from ₹500 to ₹1,500.

Students pursuing the PharmD course from pharmacy colleges will bear the ₹3,000 hospital infrastructure fee, which earlier was ₹1000.

Previously, there was no provision for fees for practical training for students of Diploma in National Board (DNB) degree and DNB courses as well as Certified Physician Assistant (CPS) courses in government hospitals.

However,the GMERS government hospitals have decided to collect an annual fee of ₹50,000 for DNB degree course students and ₹30,000 per year for DNB diploma course students. The CPS students will now have to bear annual practical training fees of ₹30,000.

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