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

Thiruvananthapuram: Alleging that Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) is not complying with the centre’s directive ordering the withdrawal of Essentiality Certificate of SR Medical College; the 3^rd MBBS students of the institute have demanded cancellation of their upcoming examinations.

The exams of the batch are scheduled to be commenced from January 10th 2020. However, the students have requested the state to cancel the university examinations.

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 have now come forward with allegations that the KUHS is turning a blind eye to the order as the varsity has announced the examination dates for the regular batch and asked to pay the examination fee.

The parent of one student informed TOI that the medical college management has started collecting exam fees. “The management also threatens the students that there won’t be any shifting and also announced that Rs 300 will be imposed as fine if they refuse to pay the examination fee” she added.

Thus, the students have sought immediate intervention of the Kerala government in this regard. “We have not received a single class for third-year subjects that include ophthalmology and ENT. We have not seen any patient this year. There is another group of students who support the management and is ready to write the exams. How can we call one a doctor if he/she lacks practical knowledge? KUHS should take immediate steps in shifting us to other medical colleges and cancel the announced examinations,” said a third-year MBBS student stated while explaining their stance to the TOI.