ESIC Thiruvananthapuram lacks infrastructure to start 1st batch of MBBS course this year

Thiruvananthapuram : The government may be making best of its effort for securing permission for ESIC Thiruvananthapuram, however, it still lacks the basic infrastructure to start the 1^st batch of MBBS course this year. The medical college has been recently taken over by the state government, which came attached with state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure. The on-ground reports suggest otherwise. It indicates that the infrastructure has been lying neglected for a long time, so the course cannot be offered this year at the ESI medical college.

The ESI Medical College was acquired by the UDF government recently. After the reported take over, there has been no concrete step taken or effort to fill up the posts. This will clearly act as a major deterrent to secure MCI approval for the college.

Sources have implied that there seems to be deliberate delay, further alleging that the Medical Education Department and the Secretariat are responsible for the delay. They has been a delay in the process of creating the posts in the medical college.

Only now the government has asked the DME to give a financial assessment to run the medical college in the state. Health Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan has confirmed this development.

The sources said to the Express that during the previous government, there was an attempt to create blockades stating that the Medical College would be a loss-making venture. As of now, there was no need for the state government to pay the ESIC for taking over the college. Out of the estimated budget of Rs 500 crore for the medical college, the Centre has already spent Rs 321.51 crore, which need not be paid back. The state government need only pay the remaining amount and that too in installments. When the state government was getting a medical college free with all facilities, then how it can be a liability to the government, they asked.

The MOU has already been signed between the state government and the ESI Corporation, which puts the liability on the government to begin the work on the medical college. However, there are noted loopholes regarding the matter of the complete takeover, as implied in the report by Express.

There are many issues which need to be considered and evaluated regarding this medical college. There is an immediate requirement of a proper building, while also urgency for staff recruitment. It is also reported that medicos have started raising their voice against the MCI inspection of the medical college in Thiruvananthapuram. In their allegation, they implied that fraud documents have been submitted during the inspection by the hospital authorities. Also, deficiencies were covered up during the inspection.