THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Medical Council of India (MCI) all set to conduct inspection at Manjeri Medical College, the State Government has shifted postgraduate students from Kozhikode Medical College to Manjeri flouting MCI norms to ensure the physical presence of doctors.
The move, considered to be against the existing norms, is widely criticised and the PG medical students’ union have threatened an indefinite strike.
Altogether 18 residents have been transferred to Manjeri from Kozhikode. Of this, six were from the general medicine, while two each from community medicine and obstetrics and gynaecology departments.
From the general surgery, three PG students have been transferred. One each from paediatrics, pulmonary medicine and ENT departments have also been transferred to Manjeri, as per the December 11 order, which is with ‘Express’.
As per the MCI regulations, migration/transfer of students undergoing any postgraduate course shall not be permitted by any university or any authority. The PG prospectus also says that no transfer/mutual transfer will be allowed from one college to another after the closing of the admission. All these regulations have been violated and the transfer was illegal, medical fraternity alleged.
The government is alleged to have flouted the guidelines to ensure that the new Medical College has all the facilities prescribed by the MCI during the inspection. It has to be noted that the state had already lost 150 seats after the MCI’s last visit to the medical colleges.
Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) general secretary C P Vijayan told ‘Express’ that it was illegal and the government had no right to transfer the students. “We strongly condemn the move, which flouts the MCI norms. The students at the Kozhikode Medical College are there for studying and how is that they can be transferred from one college to another,” he said.
Kerala Medical Postgraduates Association (KMPGA) president M Anas said that they would go for an indefinite strike from December 15 if the government did not withdraw the order.
“It is not fair for the government to violate all MCI norms. The Association has asked the PG students who have been transferred not to join Manjeri Medical College,” he said.
Stating that the transfer of the PG students was against the existing norms, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that the MCI had already given directions that a PG student could not work in two medical colleges and, if so, action would be taken. IMA state president Sreejith N Kumar said the PG students are being transferred to Manjeri. He also demanded the government to revoke the order.