Kozhikode: Students Union of GMC threatens strike

Kozhikode: GMC (Government Medical College) administration is facing the student wrath here, over an issue of providing proper transportation facilities for the activities of the students and the staff, both.

The students union at the college has even threatened a strike if adequate steps to address the situation are not taken immediately.

The college is currently equipped with 40- seater buses and two fifteen seater buses.

Some of these buses are in a very old condition- almost 20 yrs plying for the college use. The seater buses are reported to be plying for 12 years and have been involved in an accident. While mini-seaters are as old as 20 years.

These buses are being used by students for all routine purpose such as arts festivals, sports meets, office uses, trips for students, trips to the treasury, medical camps and the routine trips to the railway station

The students demands only gets more assertive as the college administration is reported to have collected funds to the tune of 1.5 crore from students to upgrade the transport facilities. Even though the students have raised the matter with the principal and director of medical education; it has not elicited much response as yet.

The students are now demanding two buses for the office use and three more for their own (the students) use.

As reported by Hindu, “The officials were indifferent to our queries. Our usual medical camps in Attappady, Thiruvambadi, Koodaranhi, Kannur, Kakkadampoyil and other distant locations have come to a standstill due to this,” Union president Arifsha.S said.

However, the Department of Health Services as well as the Finance Ministry have not responded to their demands.

Mr. Arifsha said that the students would be forced to go on strike if the situation continued.