The parents of the students of Kochi Co-operative Medical College (CMC) demanded transfer of students from CMC to other medical colleges in the state, which have vacancies. This demand was put forward to the visiting team of Medical Council of India (MCI), who are here to look into the functioning of the CMC after the recent Kerala High Court directive. Parents also presented an elaborate document pointing out the violations by the CMC.
While the Establishment of Medical College Regulations, 1999, require the Co-operative Academy for Professional Education (CAPE) to own a hospital with 300 beds with necessary infrastructure, neither CAPE nor CMC own a hospital nor have the necessary facilities for students.
It had also made clear that the medical college should not function in a rented or hired building. But the CMC currently functions from the rented premises of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium.
It is also pointed out that though the construction of the medical college is to be completed by October 2004, as per the regulations, till now no construction work has begun at the proposed site at Kalamassery.
The claim made by CAPE and CMC that the medical college is attached to the Indira Ghandhi Hospital, Kochi, is also false as neither of them owns nor manages it. Moreover, CAPE and the Cochin Co-operative Hospitals Society, to which Indira Gandhi Hospital belongs, cannot be amalgamated by transfer of assets or liabilities, as they are distinct legal entities constituted under two different legislative enactments.
The Government of Kerala order granting permission to the CMC to use the facilities at the General Hospital, Ernakulam, the Primary Health Centre, Ezhikkara and Urban Public Health Centre, Kalamassery, is without informing or the approval of the Medical council of India, it is pointed out.
The order itself remained on paper when the General Hospital authorities denied permission to students to use their facilities prompting the government to sanction the use of Taluk Government Hospital, Aluva.
This again is gross violation as it was done without the sanction of Medical Council of India and once again remained only on paper. Even as the first batch of students, currently in their fourth semester, is denied any clinical or hospital visits, 105 seats remain vacant and available at other medical colleges. The CMC students, say parents, can utilize these seats.
The CMC and CAPE have failed to create infrastructure for the medical college as per the MCI norms and the Central Government has also stopped admissions for the second batch.
The college authorities and the Co-operation Ministry have been making hectic preparations in their bid to impress the MCI team.
The three member team comprising Dr. Bansal Goenka, Dr. Hardikar and Dr. Kantha began its inspections yesterday. It paid a short visit to the College, functioning at the rented premises of Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium. The team visited the classrooms, laboratories and other facilities of the CMC, the men's hostel at Champakkara, the women's hostel at Kadavantra and the wards set up in General Hospital and the Indira Gandhi Co-operative Hospital. CMC Chief Executive Officer Dr. KN Ragavan and Principal Dr S Hariharan accompanied the team.
The parents have alleged that the authorities are engaged in a planned effort to cheat the visiting team and the Kerala High Court. Nine doctors have been lodged in a city hotel by the college authorities to be presented as faculty members during the inspection, they said.
The Co-operation minister M V Ragavan refuted the allegations that the College lacked facilities and said that vested interests were using students to damage the College.
While rules say that the College needs a hospital with 400 beds, it has been allotted 500 beds in two city hospitals. The buildings for the college, including hostels, would be completed in another year's time. Steps are being taken to get the approval of the Medical Council of India to admit students to the college this year also, the Minister said in a press conference.