Shifting of PRIMS MBBS Medicos: State Govt to make decision, inform court by 24th april

Chennai: 150 2nd-year MBBS students of Ponnaiyah Ramajayam Institute of Medical Sciences (PRIMS) are still jammed in the middle of transfer issues.

In a recent hearing on the long-standing matter, the Madras High Court directed the state government to respond to the communication sent by the Centre informing about the recommendation given by the Board of Governors in Supersession of Medical Council of India (MCI BoG) regarding the transfer of the aggrieved MBBS medicos.

The decision of shifting these MBBS 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.

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 NEET, the medical college was started from the 2016-17 academic year after obtaining approval from the state and central governments and MCI.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare debarred the college from making MBBS admissions for 2017-18 and 2018-19 as it had failed to rectify the ‘deficiencies’ pointed out by the MCI earlier.

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

On 3rd October, the Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan had written a letter to the Union Health and Family Welfare Secretary seeking its concurrence for shifting 150 second year MBBS students of PRIMS to the other self-financing medical colleges, since the GMCs were already overloaded.

On this, the HC had directed the state 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.

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

The counsel for the students in court, however, demanded that all the MBBS students have to be accommodated only in GMCs 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.

Throughout all the hearing sessions, the state reiterated its submission that it was not possible to accommodate the present 150 MBBS students in GMCs as in compliance with the earlier HC order, the government had shifted about 144 students of Anna Malai Medical College and Hospital to various GMCs last year only.

Read Also: PRIMS 2nd year MBBS students cannot be accommodated in Govt Medical colleges: Govt to Court

Although it was contended that there were no vacancies in GMCs, Justice T Raja in December 2018 directed the state to obtain necessary approvals for increasing the number of seats from the authorities concerned and then accommodate the MBBS students by spreading them out to various GMCs.

Read Also: Finally, 150 MBBS students of PRIMS to be shifted to government medical colleges

In response to this order, the state moved the division bench where the bench directed the state to submit a fresh proposal to the MCI BoG for the purpose of accommodating the students. The MCI BoG was then asked to consider the said proposal and take a decision accordingly.

Read Also: Come up with fresh plan to accommodate PRIMS MBBS students: HC tells Govt, MCI

In compliance with the order, the MCI BoG made the present recommendation.

Deccan Chronicle reports that when the case came up for hearing on April 15, the state government informed that it wants to take a call on the recommendation of the MCI BoG and sought one week time.

In opposition of the same, counsel appearing for the MBBS students submitted that even after the order of the single judge, the students have not attended the classes and they have less attendance.

“Now, MCI has submitted its recommendation to accommodate them in government medical colleges. How can the state government defy the present order,” the Counsel asked.

The HC, after some more arguments, directed the state government to respond to the communication sent by the Central government informing the recommendation of the MCI BoG, to accommodate the MBBS students.

The division bench comprising Justices M Sathyanarayanan and P Rajamanickam gave the State time till April 24 to reply, when it is likely to dispose of the petition, adds Deccan Chronicle.