Government Dental College Alappuzah denied third year admissions

Thiruvanthapuram: Acute shortage of faculty, facility and inadequate infrastructure in Alappuzha Government Dental College has led to the Dental Council of India disallowing BDS admissions to the college for this year.

Last year, the college had met a similar fate with DCI denying recognition for 50 BDS seats to the college. It was only after the government sought High Court intervention and gave an undertaking that the deficiencies would be met with, within a stipulated span of time , was the admission process for the said seats allowed to be carried out.

This year’s inspection by the DCI conducted on April 26, again found the college lacking in faculty strength in several departments & shortage of major departmental equipment . However, the government tried to provide overnight faculty numbers from other dental colleges, but failed miserably with the DCI.

The June Alapuzha GDC inspection by the DCI ended in the dental body’s refusal to grant permission to the college to admit students in the third year.

“The second batch of students is now taking their exams and will be moving into the third year. They have to attend clinics from the third year. Though right now, the college is woefully short of facilities and faculty and it is a disservice to those students. It is a pity that in the past one year, the government has done nothing to improve the infrastructure and faculty position in Alappuzha,” said an Indian Dental Association representative .