KOCHI: The Ernakulam Government Medical College (EMC) is handicapped because of the absence of a cardiologist, perhaps the only medical college in the state to be so deficient. It’s over a month since the lone part-time consultant cardiologist Dr Abdul Khader went on leave and the search by authorities to find a permanent replacement have not succeeded so far. Interestingly, the PG Medicine students who have cardiology classes have not been affected because Dr Abdul Khader has not been teaching them.
For long they have been going either to Kottayam Medical College or Kozhikode Medical College for their second year classes. However, gynecology and general surgery patients have been seriously affected as are patients with cardiac problems. The authorities’ bid to find a permanent posting did not succeed with two assistant professors in cardiology appointed from the PSC list by the Director of Medical Education (DME) not reporting for duty. The search for a replacement has thus prolonged. The posts of one professor, one associate professor and two assistant professors in cardiology have already been created at EMC.
The EMC authorities are now counting on the return of Dr Abdul Khder after a week to give a breather to the patients at the medical college. “However, that’s not a permanent solution at a government medical college. At least one permanent cardiologist should be there to teach the students and take care of the patients,” said Dr N.K. Sanil Kumar, leader, Justice VR Krishna Iyer Movement.
