Andhra Pradesh: RIMS stir ends; MCI team reaches for inspection

The 3 day old protest on for Medical Council of India recognition for the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), by junior doctors, has come to an end as an MCI team has reached the college for an approval inspection.

The library, intensive care units (ICU) and the radiology units have already gone through an intensive inspection conducted by a three-member team headed by Coordinator- Dr. M. Ravindra

The team members, including Dr. P. Basavaraju and K.R. Rajkumar, have reportedly promised “to do all that is possible”, when a delegation of the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU) met them to submit a memorandum to save the students’ future.

Dr K. Babji, Director, Medical Education, (DME Academic), who visited RIMS,with the purpose of allaying student fears told them: “RIMS will 100% get MCI nod this time with deficiencies pinpointed by an MCI team earlier fully addressed now.” Feeling reassured the junior doctors went back to work on Tuesday.

Highlighting compliance Dr. Babji said the medical faculty shortage had now reached a 5% figure as against the 10.4% earlier in accordance to the MCI norms. He further stated that all the X-ray machines were fully functioning and the library equipped with 7,000 books as per the Council guidelines .

Seats

The state government had planned for an MCI approval of seat increase from a 100 to a 150 and an introduction to PG courses at RIMS.

A CT scan machine was being provided on public private partnership (PPP) mode, he added. He also revealed that recruitment of multi-purpose health workers would be done soon in all teaching hospitals on contract basis.

He appreciated the RIMS staff for keeping the premises clean, saying it was one of the cleanest healthcare facility in the state.

He said 142 vacancies of Assistant Professors would be filled by promoting eligible medical officers in the public health centres. “Another 198 doctors will be recruited directly shortly to ensure that there is no shortage of faculty,” he told the Hindu.

In reply to a query, he said there was scope for starting two more State-run medical colleges .