The private ayurveda medical colleges in Kerala are facing severe shortage of qualified and experienced teaching staff, thus affecting the quality of education in these colleges, said a senior officer in the directorate of ayurveda medical education in Kerala.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Ayurvedic Medical Association of India (AMAI)'s 14th annual state conference at Kozhikode in Kerala, the officer said that the directorate is not happy with the functioning of these private ayurveda medical colleges in the state as most of the colleges are facing shortage of qualified and experienced teaching staff.

In Kerala, there are 11 private ayurveda medical colleges, three government medical colleges and two aided medical colleges.

Speaking to Pharmabiz, the officer on condition of anonymity said that all the faculties and para-medical staff are not efficient with regard to qualification and experience, and the situation adversely affects the functioning of the institutions. Most of the colleges are not meeting all the parameters of selection process for faculties. According to him, the second worsening situation is that all these colleges are located in rural areas, so patients’ turnout to the hospitals attached to the colleges is very poor.

The officer, who previously held the post of drugs controller for ayurveda in Kerala, said that he will initiate efforts to find solutions to this burning issue as it is a case that is affecting the future of students. According to him, there is no development taking place in the various departments of these colleges. After all, there is no private college functioning with full-fledged facilities of all departments, said the officer who has a direct control over these institutions.

“No patient is coming to these institutions. The same situation is prevailing in private allopathic medical colleges also. It has to be changed as the public need more benefit out of these healthcare institutions,” he said.

When asked how the situation after establishing Kerala Health University is, he said the only advantage is timely conduct of examinations which were previously done by four universities.

Meanwhile, when asked to comment on the issue, a managing trustee of an ayurveda medical college said the approval to run the college is given only after thorough inspection of various departmental officers including the director of ayurveda medical education. Any negative comment gives rise to the sense that their inspection was not perfect. He said the directorate and other ISM departments should encourage the academia to concentrate on research and support the development of ayurveda rather than making comments to thwart the growth of the institutions and the system. He said all the colleges are running with experienced teachers, most of whom are retired hands.