150 PRIMS MBBS students will be Transferred to 6 Private Medical Colleges: Union Health Ministry tells HC

Chennai: After months of hearings on the long-standing transfer issue, the 150 2nd-year MBBS students of the defunct Ponnaiyah Ramajayam Institute of Medical Sciences (PRIMS) have got a breather from the Union Government.

According to recent media reports, the Union Health Ministry informed the Madras High Court that PRIMS MBBS students will be accommodated in 6 other private medical colleges in Tamil Nadu.

A communication to this effect was produced by the Union Health Ministry's counsel before the division bench of honourable Justices M Sathyanarayanan and M Nirmal Kumar when applications from the State government to review an order of a single judge dated February 1 came up last week.

The decision of shifting these MBBS students was taken by the state government after noting the lack of facilities for clinical practice and lab studies at the newly founded medical institute, PRIMS.

Medical Dialogues had extensively reported about the MBBS students, who moved HC seeking the transfer from PRIMS. According to these students, who were admitted in the first year MBBS course during 2016-17 under the government and management quota after passing NEET, the medical college was started from the 2016-17 academic year after obtaining approval from the state and central governments and MCI.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare debarred the college from making MBBS admissions for 2017-18 and 2018-19 as it had failed to rectify the 'deficiencies' pointed out by the MCI earlier.

Read Also: 103 First year MBBS students of defunct private medical college move HC seeking Transfer

On 3rd October, the Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan had written a letter to the Union Health Ministry Secretary seeking its concurrence for shifting 150 second year MBBS students of PRIMS to the other self-financing medical colleges, since the GMCs were already overloaded.

On this, the HC had directed the state to apprise the Centre as well as MCI of the vacant seats available in different private colleges and how the 150 MBBS students could be accommodated over there.

Read Also: TRANSFER of 150 MBBS Students: State writes to Centre, MCI; informs Court

The counsel for the students in court, however, demanded that all the MBBS students have to be accommodated only in GMCs since there is an apprehension that some of the private medical colleges may also face the same problem like PRIMS in future and the students will be in trouble.

Throughout all the hearing sessions, the state reiterated its submission that it was not possible to accommodate the present 150 MBBS students in GMCs as in compliance with the earlier HC order, the government had shifted about 144 students of Anna Malai Medical College and Hospital to various GMCs last year only.

Read Also: PRIMS 2nd year MBBS students cannot be accommodated in Govt Medical colleges: Govt to Court

Although it was contended that there were no vacancies in GMCs, Justice T Raja in December 2018 directed the state to obtain necessary approvals for increasing the number of seats from the authorities concerned and then accommodate the MBBS students by spreading them out to various GMCs.

Read Also: Finally, 150 MBBS students of PRIMS to be shifted to government medical colleges

In response to this order, the state moved the division bench where the bench directed the state to submit a fresh proposal to the MCI BoG for the purpose of accommodating the students. The MCI BoG was then asked to consider the said proposal and take a decision accordingly.

Read Also: Come up with fresh plan to accommodate PRIMS MBBS students: HC tells Govt, MCI

When the case came up for hearing on April 15, the state government informed that it wants to take a call on the case.

Read Also: Shifting of PRIMS MBBS Medicos: State Govt to make decision, inform court by 24th april

Now, coming to the rescue of the aggrieved MBBS students, the Union Health Ministry has granted permission to admit them in 6 private medical colleges in the state.

TOI reports that the counsel for the Union ministry for health and welfare produced a communication to the effect and informed the division bench that necessary permission has been accorded to increase the respective number of seats to the 6 institutes including:-

• Raja Muthiah Medical College and Research Institute, Chidambaram


• Karpagavinayaga Institute of Medical Science and Research Centre, Kancheepuram


• Karpagam Faculty of Medical Science and Research, Coimbatore


• Tagore Medical College Hospital, Madurai


• Vellammal Medical College Hospital Madurai


• Adiparasakthi Medical College and Research Institute, Melmaruvathur.

The ministry made the submission on a review application moved by the state government seeking to review the decision of the court dated February 1.

MCI had earlier submitted its recommendation to accommodate them in government medical colleges, on this expressing various practical difficulties in absorbing the students; the state requested the apex medical council to accommodate them in the six private medical colleges.

Considering the request, the MCI permitted the six self-financing medical colleges in the state to accommodate them and issued necessary permission, adds TOI.

In the light of the development in the form of communication of the Board of Governors of Medical Council of India (MCI BoG), nothing remains for further adjudication in the review applications, the bench said and treated them as closed, reports TNIE.