Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Medical College (SSRMC) (created 1996) is the first medical college established by the Indian Ocean Medical Institute Trust (IOMIT) in Mauritius in the memory of the 'father of the nation', late Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam. Mr. R.P.N. Singh, an educationist and social planner from India, is the Founder Chairman and Managing Trustee of the Trust.
The courses offered by the medical college are:
- MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery)
- BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery)
The BDS course is closed now. Post graduation is also scheduled to start by 2012. The Indian Ocean Medical Institute Trust (IOMIT) was established in 1996 with the avid objective of promotion of education and learning and setting up a medical college in Mauritius in the name of the 'father of the nation' late Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, who incidentally was a doctor also.
Being the first medical college in Mauritius, the idea was to set up and develop a campus of international standards, which would subsequently become the nerve center of medical education not only in the southern African region but in the whole of Indian Ocean rim countries including Malaysia, India, Africa and the Gulf region. Mauritius, with its stable democratic political system, vibrant and versatile culture, oriental attitude and occidental ambiance, provides the right opportunity for this purpose. The land of sun, sand and shooting stars is fast emerging as a ‘knowledge hub’ and center of medical education in the Indian Ocean Rim region.
The Prime Minister of Mauritius could immediately foresee the long term value of such a medical campus for the country which would establish Mauritius as an education exporting country and brain service destination in the entire Indian Ocean Rim region and transform Mauritius 'from a land of leisure to a land of learning'.
The policy planners of the Government of Mauritius including the representatives of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education Science & Technology, Ministry of Economic Planning, International Trade and Development, Tertiary Education Commission, University of Mauritius and Chairman of the IOMIT deliberated together the modalities and setting up of the SSR Medical College in a task force under the Central Policy Analysis and Evaluation Unit, Prime Minister's Office, Government of Mauritius. It was agreed to set up the SSR Medical College affiliated to the University of Mauritius, which would award the graduate and post graduate degrees.
The SSR Medical College is spread over about 25 acres of land provided by the government with buildings covering an area of about 175,000 square feet (16,300 m2) housing the pre-clinical and the para-clinical departments. The Ministry of Health and Quality of life has promised 'unflinching support' and provides state of the art J L Nehru, Victoria SSR and other specialty hospitals having more than 2000 beds for the clinical training of the students of the SSR Medical College.
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