Saving Medical Seats: Kerala Govt gives Rs 9 crore fund to Kottayam Medical College

Thiruvanathapuram: The Kottayam Medical College has been given a supporting hand by the state government, which has sanctioned Rs. 9 crores for rectification of deficiencies pointed out by the Medical Council of India. This it has done to protect the confiscation of 50 seats of the 150 at Kottayam by the MCI, if the college compliance does not meet up with Council standards.

Earlier, on October 4, the MCI had placed the Kottayam Medical College recognition under suspension due to the existing deficiencies.

The College authorities were asked to submit a compliance within a month of rectification of the shortcomings.

The Health Minister, K K Shailaja, on Monday revealed about the government’s fund sanction of Rs 9 crore for the MCH.

"The fund will be utilized for improving the facilities and with this, all the deficiencies pointed out by the MCI will be rectified,'' Shailaja said.

The Council during the inspection had pointed out that the MCH needed a CT scan machine. The Government sanction of Rs. 9 crore will result in Rs 5 crore being spent on the purchase of it. A respiratory ICU, neonatology ICU and, neurosurgery ICU will also be readied at the hospital.

The remaining fund will be used to purchase deficient equipment in the departments of orthopaedics and gynaecology as pointed out by the Council inspectors. Besides this, a dialysis equipment will also be bought and the trauma care unit modernized.

The faculty and infrastructural deficiencies have led to the MCI’s disapproval of the college’s recognition. The disapproval recommendation was made by Council's team of experts when it visited the college on July 26 and 27, this year. The MCI will be re-inspecting the compliance report after the necessary changes are made.

The state government will also have to assist the college in taking steps towards filling of faculty vacancies, pointed at by the MCI. There are 2 professor vacancies, 14 assistant professor vacancies, and five associate professors posts lying vacant at the entry level.

The senior resident posts vacant in the college are in the Departments of anaesthesiology, paediatrics, and radiology.

If compliance is not met with by the college, the MCI will cancel 50 of the 150 Kottayam Medical College seat reports TOI.