The Medical Council of India (MCI) has denied permission to the Government Medical College Hospital, Idukki, to admit students citing lack of infrastructure and other facilities as mandated by the MCI at its last hearing on September 25.
This has a far-reaching effect as the Medical Council of India has been replaced by the National Medical Commission (NMC) with new guidelines for giving permission to medical colleges.
In a letter to the medical college, R.K Vats, Secretary General, MCI, Board of Governors, says seven deficiencies have been found at the hospital, including in faculty, bed occupancy, residents, clinical lab, and radiological investigation.
It says there is no approach road to the hospital and an old district hospital building is being used for the medical college and para-clinical and clinical departments are under construction.
An official at the medical college told The Hindu that permission had been denied without considering the facilities completed there. “It is without considering the arrangements made since June and all deficiencies found in last year’s verification have been rectified.”
He said there was an approach road now and all criteria had been currently fulfilled. However, it was not considered at the last hearing. Due to COVID-19, there was no physical verification by the MCI and the medical college had lost the last chance to admit students in the current academic year.
The medical college was established in 2014 with intake of 50 students. However, the college had not admitted new batches after the first and second year MBBS students were shifted to other medical colleges after the MCI denied permission in 2017 due to ‘lack of clinical facilities’.
The medical college was started at the district hospital building near the district headquarters at Cheruthoni with minimal facilities in 2014.
The district is dependent on Kottayam Medical College Hospital and Theni Medical College Hospital in Tamil Nadu for emergency and specialised treatment.
The Chief Secretary had given an undertaking to the MCI last year that all facilities would be arranged prior to admitting students in the current academic year. Infrastructure and clinical facilities were being upgraded from June to admit students in the current academic year.