Transfer woes of PRIMS MBBS students continue

Chennai: Troubles continue to hold the transfer of 2nd-year MBBS students of Ponnaiyah Ramajayam Institute of Medical Sciences (PRIMS) to other medical colleges in the state.

In a recent hearing on the issue, the Madras High Court directed the state government to inform the court as to whether it could accommodate the students of defunct PRIMS in the Junior Batch of 2nd-year students studying in government medical colleges.

The decision of shifting these students was taken by the state government after noting the lack of facilities for clinical practice and lab studies at the newly founded medical institute, PRIMS.

The HC passed this order during a recent hearing on the petitions filed by the 108 students, who had requested the Court's intervention in their transfer from PRIMS to other medical colleges. The batch consists of 150 MBBS students.

Deccan Chronicle reports that counsels appearing for the MBBS students, relying upon the essentiality certificate issued by the state government, submitted, "If anything happens to the self-financing medical college, the state government has to take the responsibility and accommodate the students only in government colleges and not in other self financing medical colleges since there was an apprehension that some of the self-financing medical colleges may also face the same problem like Ponnaiyah medical college in future and the students will be in trouble again."

The court was notified that these MBBS students belong to the same 2016-2017 batch as that of Annai Medical college students. "But, what these students wish is that they be accommodated in 2017-2018 batch of students in government medical colleges," the counsels added.

Decay Reports that On the aforesaid request of the MBBS students, a girl student appeared before the bench and explained that there were two batches of students in the 2^nd year. One batch was a senior batch and they had already started doing their second year. The second batch was a junior batch and they started doing their second year only from October 2018 onwards.

"Though they belong to the same 2016-2017 batch as that of Annai Medical College students, who were already accommodated in the senior batch of second year students in government medical colleges, they may be permitted to join the junior batch of second year students," the student presented before the court.

Medical Dialogues had extensively reported about the MBBS students, who moved HC seeking the transfer from PRIMS. According to these students, who were admitted in the first year MBBS course during 2016-17 under the government and management quota after passing the NEET, the medical college was started from the 2016-17 academic year after obtaining approval from the state and central governments and the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Read Also: 103 First year MBBS students of defunct private medical college move HC seeking Transfer

In an earlier hearing of the case, the HC had directed the state government to apprise the Centre as well as MCI of the vacant seats available in different private colleges and how the 150 MBBS students could be accommodated over there.

This direction came in view after the state government informed that on 3rd October, the Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan had written a letter to the Union Health and Family Welfare Secretary Preeti Sudan seeking its concurrence for shifting 150 second year MBBS students of PRIMS to the other self-financing private colleges, since the government medical colleges were already overloaded.

Read Also: TRANSFER of 150 MBBS Students: State writes to Centre, MCI; informs Court

The counsel for the students submitted that all the 108 students have to be accommodated only in state-run medical colleges since there is an apprehension that some of the private medical colleges may also face the same problem like PRIMS in future and the students will be in trouble. In addition, if all the MBBS students are to be accommodated in private medical colleges, then the approval of the apex medical council is necessary.

In response, the state reiterated its submission stating that it was not possible to accommodate the present 108 students in government medical colleges as the government had shifted about 144 students of Annai Medical College and Hospital to various government colleges last year only.

While abiding by the HC's earlier order, the state has taken consent from the MCI for its decision of transferring the MBBS students to private medical institutes.

The state government addressed to the Board of Governors/MCI to accord approval for accommodating the 108 students in self-financing medical colleges and has received its approval for the same. Ten self-financing medical colleges have expressed their willingness to accommodate the students, the counsel for the state had informed the HC.