Kerala: No permission to nine medical colleges

Kerala: With medical admissions around the corner, the Kerala University of Health Sciences has come heavy on aspirants in the state after the recent order by the university to cancel MBBS admissions in nine medical colleges here. The orders issued by the university imply that these colleges will not be able to provide MBBS course admissions for 2016-17.

A press release confirming the news has been issued to this effect, with the university clearly stating that it will not be responsible if students take admission to any of these nine medical colleges. Even the central government had earlier taken a decision to not allow these medical colleges to provide admission for the coming academic year as per the direction of the Central Health and Family Welfare Ministry.

The nine medical colleges are: Dr. Somervell Memorial CSI Medical College, Kozhikode KMCT, Sree Gokulam Medical College & Research Foundation (Venjaramoodu), Kannur Medical college, Malabar Medical College (Kozhikode), Mount Zion Medical College (Pathanamthitta), Al-Azhar Medical College (Thodupuzha), PK Das Institute Vaniyamkulam (Vaniyamkulam) and DM Wayanad institute of medical sciences (Meppadi).

This action has been initiated after the medical council under the KUHS submitted its evaluation report. The council cites lack of infrastructure and faculties as prime reasons for denying admissions.

Only recently a new medical college was denied permission to offer 100 MBBS seats in the state after its inability to provide adequate facilities. The government then deferred the MBBS admissions for 2016-17. This new medical hospital is to be set up after the merger of the General Hospital and the Women and Children Hospital at Thycaud. However, there is still a requirement to provide facilities and infrastructure in adequacy as per the MCI stipulated period; which the government has not been able to provide in the set timeframe. the news is that the Centre and MCI has already sanctioned 100 MBBS seats for starting admissions this year. The state government in turn was required to submit an undertaking stating that the shortcomings in infrastructure and faculty shortage will be addressed in a specified time frame, before the admissions started.