THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major setback, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has struck down the government’s proposal to start the first batch of MBBS classes at the new medical college at Konni in Pathanamthitta.
Lack of a proper college complex, dearth of teaching staff and lack of basic amenities have prompted the revocation.
Contrary to the UDF Government’s claim that the new colleges will augment medical seats, the state is now set to be deprived of 100 seats here at Konni Medical College.
Apart from this, the Director of Medical Education (DME) has recommended to the government to redeploy the doctors at Konni to other places as they were sitting idle for the past many months.
‘Express’ had last month reported that the tax payers’ money was being squandered as 70 doctors appointed at the new medical colleges in Konni and Thiruvananthapuram were killing time for the last nine months drawing a salary of about `6.3 crore.
T’Puram: When contacted, Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr Remla Beevi said, “A proposal has been submitted to the government for temporarily deploying the doctors appointed at Konni Medical College to other places. They have been sitting idle for the last many months and as such a letter was written to the government to utilise their service at other places until the Konni Medical College becomes functional.”
She also said that admissions will not take place at Konni Medical College this academic year. “We could not construct the Medical College building and the MCI has expressed some reservations in giving recognition,” she said. The MC building will not be completed within the time schedule, she added. Even as the government was moving ahead with the inauguration of new medical colleges, it faced wide criticism from many quarters that the MCs were started for namesake.