No classes since 45 days: Protesting MBBS students Shut Hospital; KNRUHS sets up inquiry committee

Hyderabad: Maheshwara Medical College management's alleged failure in paying salaries of the medical faculty for the past several months has escorted a massive setback to a total of 300 MBBS students.

The faculty, in protest against the non-payment of dues, had initiated a strike, wherein no classes have been taken for the past 45 days. Taking cognizance of the issue, the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), to which the medical college is affiliated to; has set up a committee to initiate an inquiry.

Hospital Forcibly Shut

Recently, agitated over classes not resuming, the aggrieved MBBS students and parents held a protest at the Medical College and Hospital's campus on February 23rd and forcibly closed down the hospital for about 5 hours. About 300 people participated in the strike.

The protesting parents said they will allow the hospital to function only after the Institute's Chairman gives an assurance that the MBBS classes will resume from February 25, reports

TOI.

"Initially, we forcefully shutdown all services except emergencies and asked doctors and other medical staff to step out of the hospital… There was no one from the management to stop us and only after few hours, the management tried to get in touch with us through video conference," said a parent.

As stated by the parents, they went to the campus on receiving a message from medical college management. "We got a message from the medical college, saying they would resolve the issue today. However, on reaching we realised that we have been fooled yet again by the management. That's when we decided to close the hospital," said another parent.

TNIE reports that over a video call the Chairman assured the parents that he would meet them on Monday and also clear the pending salaries of the faculty and ensure that classes would be held.

"Though, he said nothing new; except that he verbally gave the assurance instead over texts. We are going to wait till February 25 (Monday) and if nothing comes out of it we will file a writ in the High Court on Tuesday and meet the KNRUHS registrar over the status of our representation to the university," said a parent spoke about the actions if the management fails to resume back the classes or provide a resolution to the major issue.

Read Also: Bhagat Phool Singh Medical College: 31 Final year MBBS students fail Medicine Practical, probe ordered

Varsity to Inquire

KNRUHS has set-up a two-member committee to enquire into the complaints from the MBBS students.

Telangana Today adds that the two-member Committee headed by Director of Medical Education (DME), Dr K Ramesh Reddy and Registrar, KNRUHS, D Praveen Kumar was to visit the medical college on February 25 to enquire into the problem of non-conduct of classes.

The KNRUHS authorities have also urged all the students concerned, parents association, principal and faculty of the medical college to represent their grievances to the committee.

TJUDA comes in support

Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) has also extended their support to the aggrieved MBBS students.

"For the past 45-days, no classes are being conducted in the medical college. The faculty is refusing to take classes because they have not received their salaries for the past six months and as a result the students are suffering" said Chairman, Telangana Junior Doctors Association, Dr P S Vijayender said to Telangana Today.

TJUDA has approached Health Minister Etala Rajender and requested him to intervene in the matter, adds Deccan Chronicle.

Read Also: IGIMS Patna: MBBS exam system questioned after 40 out of 96 final year medicos fail

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that with classes being suspended and mid-term examination less than a month away, these aggrieved MBBS students and their parents are running pillar to post requesting concerned authorities to resume back the classes and save the year of their studies. They have met the Director of the medical institute several times, officially and unofficially seeking a resolution.

• In the first week of February, the parents went and registered a complaint with KNRUHS. Though the KNRUHS Registrar issued a notice on February 8, the medical college management did nothing to resolve the issue. The parents were allegedly told that that the salaries would be reimbursed soon and classes will also begin. "We were also shown a DD of a few crores but turns out it was fake," a parent informed.


• On February 14, after the parents met the Director, he had issued a letter stating that classes would resume from February 18. However, no action was taken and infuriated by the same, parents and students had staged a dharnaat the medical college premises and later complained to the District Collector.


• On February 19, the MBBS students, parents and medical teachers met the officials of KNRUHS demanding immediate intervention and were assured action on the issue.

Read Also: Hyderabad Medical College Faculty on Strike over Pending Salaries: No Classes for 300 MBBS students

The Maheshwara Medical College and Hospital was established four years ago but last year the medical college did not get approval for admitting fresh batch of students.

In June 2018, an inspection by the Medical Council of India (MCI) found that there is not sufficient faculty to teach medicine. Consequently, the medical college's permission to operate for 2018-19 was cancelled. Existing faculty has left and most departments are functioning with only one professor, as alleged by the students.

Read Also: Fathima Institute of Medical Sciences: MBBS students who qualified NEET 2018 get Refund Relief of Rs 13 crore