Kerala Medical College MBBS students in dilemma over Transfer; approach State Health Minister

Vettoor: Facing uncertainty over their transfer, over 100 MBBS students of SR Medical College have approached the Kerela Health and Social Welfare Minister KK Shailaja seeking help in the matter.

The students were left in a lurch after the Kerala government cancelled the Essentiality Certificate of the institute in view of gross deficiencies found by the Medical Council of India (MCI) during an inspection. The cancellation came pursuant to the orders of the Ministry of Health.

Earlier, the medical college was in the news with 3^rd MBBS students of the institute demanding cancellation of their upcoming examinations alleging that Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) was not complying with the centre’s directive ordering the withdrawal of Essentiality Certificate of SR Medical College. The exams of the batch are scheduled to be commenced from January 10th 2020.

Medical Dialogues had recently reported that after deliberating on the report submitted by the Medical Council of India (MCI), the Medical Education wing of the Union Health Ministry directed the state government to cancel the Essentiality Certificate of the medical college and to send a proposal for transfer the students to other institutes in the state.

SR Medical College is a self-financing medical college in the state of Kerala. The institution had received the MCI nod for the MBBS course first in 2016, after that it did not receive the recognition in the coming years due to inadequate infrastructure.

Last month, the apex medical council had found gross deficiencies prevailing at the institute with a whopping 63 per cent faculty deficiency and 87 per cent shortage of resident doctors.

The MCI assessors observed the medical college had made deliberate attempts to delay assessment and they faced intimidation and threats during inspection rounds. They were even pressurised to give a favourable report. Attempts were also made to prevent them from meeting medical students. The team could not find certified documents of land, building, occupancy and fire.

The medical college was earlier in the controversy with allegations that its authorities had taken revenge on a group of MBBS students for making public the gross shortcomings at the medical college.

Read Also: SR Medical College: 11 MBBS students barred from taking University Exams for disrupting MCI inspection

The students had further moved the court with their grievances afterwards; the bench had asked the MCI to find out whether the medical college had improved its facilities and infrastructure. In compliance with the HC orders, the MCI inspection was conducted where the assessors noted severe deficiencies and misconduct during assessment rounds.

Recommending the Union Health Ministry that these matters are taken seriously, the MCI submitted its report; viewing which the Centre ordered the state to withdraw the essentiality certificate of the medical institute.

However, the students came forward with allegations that the KUHS turned a blind eye to the order as the varsity announced the examination dates for the regular batch and asked to pay the examination fee.

Read Also: CANCEL EXAMS: SR Medical College 3rd year MBBS Students allege noncompliance by KUHS

On January 7th 2020, the state government cancelled the essentiality certificate of Varkala SR Medical College. The medical colleges’ management association informed the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) that they cannot admit students of SR Medical College. With this, shifting of medical students who got admission here in the year 2016-17 is uncertain.

Read Also: SR Medical College Essentiality Certificate CANCELLED; transfer of MBBS students still uncertain

Now, as no medical college is ready to admit them, the students are worried about their transfer. The students have met Kerela Health and Social Welfare Minister KK Shailaja and have briefed her about their problems regarding their admission transfer, reports ANI.