Thiruvananthapuram: The decision of the admissions supervisory committee headed by Justice J.M. James to make all entries from NEET list and Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) to deny permission to nine medical colleges have virtually stalled talks between the state government and private self-financing medical colleges. Earlier this month, the talks between Kerala Private Medical College Management Association and health minister K. K. Shylaja remained inconclusive as the managements took a stand that an agreement on seat sharing would be possible if the government agreed on a uniform fee structure.
The MCI deadline for filling all MBBS seats is September 30. Private medical colleges had a multi-layer fee structure last year as follows: BPL/lower income (50 percent government seats) - Rs 25, 000, SEBC: Rs 25,000, Others - Rs 1. 85 lakh. Management quota - Rs 8.5 lakh and Rs 7 lakh deposit, NRI quota-Rs 12 lakh and '7 lakh deposit. The four medical colleges under the Inter-Church Council had entered into a three-year agreement with the government last year approving a uniform fee of Rs 4.20 lakh for both government quota and management quota. These colleges - Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Thiruvalla, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Christian Medical College, Kozhencherry, Amala Medical College, Thrissur, and Jubilee Medical College, Thrissur - have made it clear that there was no need to go for a fresh agreement this year.
Colleges that the KUHS denied permission to take students this year are Dr Somervell Memorial CSI Medical College, Karakonam, KMCT Medical College, Kozhikode, Sree Gokulam Medical College and Research Foundation, Venjaram-oodu, Kannur Medical College, Anjarakandy, Malabar Medical College, Kozhikode, Mount Zion Medical College, Pathana-mthitta, Al-Azhar Medical College, Thodupuzha, PK Das Institute of Medical Science, Vaniyamkulam and DM Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences Meppadi.
