BHUBANESWAR: Under fire for ignoring the infrastructural development of VSS Medical College and Hospital at Burla, the State Government today announced that it is considering granting autonomous status to the college. The Medical Council of India (MCI) recently recommended reduction of 43 seats in the college in view of inadequate infrastrcture.
Making a statement in response to an Opposition adjournment motion in the Assembly, Health Minister Prasanna Acharya said the Government has set up a committee following a resolution in the House that all the three medical colleges should be given autonomous status. The committee has recommended autonomy to VSS Medical on an experimental basis.
A high level meeting was held three days back to discuss the issue. The Government will call experts’ opinion before a final decision and then a legislation will be brought in the House, he said.
Admitting that there is shortage of teaching staff and doctors in the medical colleges, the Minister said several steps have been initiated to fill up vacancies.
In conformity with the MCI guidelines, the Government has restructured the medical college teachers hierarchy from four to three-tier system. Some of the deficiencies pointed out by the MCI have already been met and compliance report has been sent to the Centre.
The Government is also contemplating to enhance the salary of teaching staff of the medical colleges, he said. The medical cadre has already been restructured. Besides making the entry level for doctors as Class I, the salary has been increased to nearly Rs 37,000.
Acharya said both he and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik have written letters to the Union Health Minister opposing the MCI recommendation on VSS Medical and now it is for the Centre to take a decision.
Pressing for the motion, Santosh Singh Saluja (Cong) alleged that Government neglect has led to this sorry state of affairs. Anup Sai (Cong) also criticised the Government for its incompetence.
Jaynarayan Mishra (BJP) alleged that this is a gift for Western Orissa in the golden jubilee year of VSS Medical College. He wanted an all-party committee, headed by the Speaker, to pursue the matter.
Naba Kishore Das (Cong) warned that agitation in Western Orissa will be intensified unless the Government takes corrective steps. He demanded that the VSS Medical should be made autonomous.