SCB Medical College: Medicos demand Autonomy, establishment of Health University

Cuttack: Demanding the state of an autonomous college and establishment of a Health University, hundreds of MBBS students of SCB Medical College and Hospital have been protesting outside the medical college premises by shouting slogans and holding placards and boycotting classes.

Aggrieved UG medicos launched an indefinite strike and protest on November 14 around 10 in the morning.

The prominent issue faced by the protesting students was the blunders made by the existing examination system including delay in the publication of results by Utkal University by 4 months every academic year and incorrect printing of results. This gave a tough time to the medicos in availing scholarship and reimbursement of education loan.

The UG medicos also demanded the establishment of a Health University and autonomous status to SCB medical college as college is still under the accreditation of Utkal University.

However, this should not have been the present status of the medical college as the Chief Minister CM Naveen Patnaik had announced the establishment of a health university five years back and as per the medicos, Patnaik also promised to grant autonomous status to the college.

Deepak Kumar Samal, President of Undergraduate Students Union Of SCBMCH alleged that the State Government has turned a blind eye towards the issue which is the major reason that created a barrier in upgrading the college to a health university.

Despite repeated complaints, no step has yet been taken by the university authorities, thus, the medicos took out a rally urging the Health and Family Welfare Department for the fulfilment of their two demands. The protesting students were backed by the Junior Doctors Association(JDA) of SCBMCH who wore black badges to mark their support.

SCB Medical College JDA has also given an ultimatum to the to Health and Family Welfare Minister via a letter, stating that failure to address the genuine issue of medical students within 4 days would force JDA members to take further course of action, reports The New Indian Express.