VIJAYAWADA: RVS Institute of Medical Sciences, Chittoor, is likely to shut down with the Medical Council of India (MCI) denying permission for the past two consecutive years as the college management has failed to meet its standards.
With this, the State is going to lose 150 undergraduate (UG) medical seats. This, however, is unlikely to have any impact on the students of the college which came into existence in 2016 as they will be relocated to various government medical colleges in the State.
RVS Institute of Medical Sciences, which was started with 150 MBBS seats, has failed to put in place proper infrastructure, faculty and hospital as per the standards prescribed by the MCI. As a result, the statutory body has decided not to allow the college to run 2017-18, 2018-19 as well as future batches.
The college was denied permission for 2017-18 and 2018-19 batches. However, the MCI gave a temporary reprieve to continue classes for 2016-17. As it failed to utilise the relief and build labs, academic blocks and hostel buildings to meet the standards even for the 2018-19 academic year, the MCI decided to withdraw permission. The students are a worried lot as they fear that they may face the same fate as those of Fathima Institute of Medical Sciences, Kadapa.
The main reason for the medical college management’s failure to meet the MCI standards is said to be a financial crisis it is facing. A case was filed in the High Court by some students seeking that they be shifted to some other colleges. The court is likely to hear the petition on March 13. Meanwhile, officials of the NTR University of Health Sciences are preparing the list of colleges where RVS Institute of Medical Sciences’ students could be accommodated.
According to university officials, the 150 students would be accommodated in different colleges in the State based on their category of admission. There are 75 A category, 52 B category and 23 C category students in the college.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr S Appala Naidu, Registrar, NTRUHS, said, “The students need not worry over the closure of the college. They will be relocated to other colleges. We are shortlisting the colleges for their relocation. Soon after the court order, this will be processed. The students will be required to pay the fee prescribed by RVS Institute of Medical Sciences when they are shifted to a government college. The excess fee amount will be used for the college development,” he said. When contacted, RVS Institute of Medical Sciences chairman Ravuri Venkata Swamy told TNIE that the case was still in the court and the students have already completed their three-year course.