Manjeri, Palakkad Medical Colleges denied admissions to UG seats for 2018-19 by MCI

Thiruvanthapuram: The Government Medical Colleges at Palakkad and Manjeri have been declined permission of admissions for their MBBS seats for the academic year 2018-19 on account of several deficiencies including faculty shortage found by the Medical Council of India. This is for the 2nd time that the Council has declined admission permission to the two colleges due to deficiencies prevailing. The first was in the year 2017-18.

With a 100 MBBS seats in each of the colleges, the health department sources however reiterated that the situation was not as serious as permission could be granted if a written undertaking was given promising compliance of observed deficiencies.

"They have given us one-month's time for solving the deficiencies. We will be giving an assurance to the MCI that it will be done within the stipulated time," a senior health department official told TOI.

The MCI Executive Committee's assessment report on Palakkad Government Medical College, has noted the existence of 40% deficient faculty and 52% paucity of resident doctors.

It further noted that the medical superintendent holding the position was not eligible for the post since he lacked the mandatory 10 year administrative experience .The MCI was also critical about granting of affiliation of the hospital to the college under the director of health services for the setting up of the institution.

"There is no data of clinical materials like outpatient department attendance, bed occupancy, number of deliveries, major and minor operations, radiological and laboratory investigations being performed which is mandatory for a hospital," the assessment report stated.

30 other deficiencies have also been listed by the MCI, following which it has recommended cancellation of undergraduate admissions to the central government.

If the health department fails to fulfil the deficiencies within one month, then it is likely to affect the permanent registration of the students passing out from this college this year. It will be the fifth batch which will be taking admission to this college if the deficiencies pointed out by the Council are met with.

Similarly, the major drawbacks pointed at in Manjeri Medical College include equipment in major departments and infrastructural deficiencies. The college will have to meet up with compliances in a month's time to retain its recognition reports TOI.