The private pharmacy colleges in Andhra Pradesh are in a serious financial crisis and the managements are finding it difficult to run them. The state government's irregular and inadequate release of funds is the main reason for this crisis. Regular flow of funds is required for reimbursement of fees for the SC-ST and other backward community students in these colleges, according to Association of Teachers of Pharmacy Colleges in AP.
The state government has introduced the fee reimbursement scheme for students of minority communities, SC-ST and financially backward communities three years ago.
Several colleges, especially those from the rural areas, are the victims of this tepid attitude of the government. They are unable to pay salaries to the teachers because of financial constraints, said Dr J N Suresh Kumar, principal of Deccan College of Pharmacy, Hyderabad. Dr Suresh Kumar is also the vice-president of the State Pharmacy College Teachers Association.
He said that almost all the 280 colleges of pharmaceutical sciences in Andhra are facing the financial crunch but managing somehow by way of some income from other sources. Majority of these colleges are functioning in the rural areas.
According to sources, the maximum intake of B Pharm course in a college is 60 and out of which only 18 are set out for management quota. The remaining 42 students’ fees are sponsored by the government through various schemes. But the colleges are not getting this amount every month or even annually. The sources said, currently the paying capacity of the students under management quota is also not that good.
Besides this, majority of the pharmacy colleges are yet to receive the approval of Pharmacy Council of India. Only 80 colleges in Andhra have received the PCI approval. About 200 colleges have sprang up in different parts of the state only four years ago and they have to wait for the completion of their first batch to get the pharmacy council recognition, he said. Without the approval of the PCI, the graduates coming out of these colleges cannot register with the Council as a pharmacist, he added.
Dr Suresh Kumar said, out of the total 280 colleges, only three colleges are managed by government, which have no problems. They are the Andhra University College of Pharmaceuticals at Vishakhapatanam, Kakatiya University College of Pharmacy at Warangal and Padmavathy Mahila University College of Pharmacy at Thirupathy. The problems in the private colleges do affect not only the teachers and students but also the managements. Approximately 17000 students are pursuing various pharmacy courses in the state.
In the case of colleges in the rural areas, most of them are on the verge of closure due to this financial problem and shortage of students and qualified faculties. The qualified teachers are not willing to work in rural areas because of poor salary and other benefits. The management cannot pay them as dictated by AICTE. So, several colleges are engaging even graduates to work as lecturers for the graduate courses. That is a pathetic situation, principal of Deccan College said.
Recently the managements association has approached the state government for immediate release of funds and a special demand for the establishment of a separate university for Pharmaceutical education. Thirty colleges in the state are conducting the Pharm D course.