Kochi: The fate of 83 PG seats in government medical colleges hangs in the balance with the state government not taking any measures to retain their recognition.
Only two months are left for the inspection by the Medical Council of India to finally decide whether to continue with them or not.
A total of ten PG seats in private medical colleges also face the same fate.
In the last inspection, the MCI had decided to withdraw recognition to these seats due to the absence of qualified teachers and adequate infrastructure but the previous central government had intervened in the thick of general elections to extend it for one more year and asked the MCI to finally decide it in the next inspection which is now just two months away.
“There are adequate qualified doctors in the common pool of 2,500 doctors to fill these vacancies, but the government is not taking any measures to promote them. Once they are promoted to assistant professor posts and upward, the entry cadre vacancies can be filled through the Public Service Commission. But nothing is happening now and chances are that we will lose 83 PG seats,” said Dr K. Mohanan, president, Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA).
The major problem being faced by private colleges is that they don’t have enough patients in both OP and IP while some have infrastructure problems.
“Normally, the MCI inspection happens twice in a year. The first one before the course is started and the second when the exams take place. The inspection during exams is now just two months away,” said Dr Mohanan.
