Kerala says it’s Centre’s policy

Adequate number of faculty posts as required by the Medical Council of India (MCI) has been created in different districts.

In Idukki, at least 82 new posts needs to be created and the process is expected to be completed by August 30. Photo: Special Arrangement

The current doctor-population ratio in the country is approximately 1:1,700. With an acute shortage of doctors in the country, the Centre had announced in February that 15,800 more MBBS seats will be created.

When the Centre itself announces a scheme to convert district hospitals into medical colleges, apart from amending regulations for teacher-student ratio, land requirement, bed strength, etc, to facilitate the creation of more MCHs, why should not the State government do the same?

“There is a huge demand for MBBS seats and people are sending their children to Russia and China to study medicine paying huge sums of money. The government is trying to create more MBBS seats here. In Tamil Nadu, doctors working in the government service have the option of joining Medical Education Service. In Kerala too, it could be an opportunity for government doctors to find a career in teaching,” points out P.G.R. Pillai, Special Officer for new MCHs.

Adequate number of faculty posts as required by the Medical Council of India (MCI) has been created in Manjeri (103). In Idukki, at least 82 new posts needs to be created and the process is expected to be completed by August 30.

“Teaching faculty posts have been created for the new MCHs, but we need to show the MCI, a certain number of Residents’ posts on the clinical side. The option of ‘deemed deputation’ for Health Service doctors was thought of to make up for the deficiency of resident doctors (PG doctors),” a senior Health official said.

PG doctors

The Director of Medical Education, V. Geetha, said that in other States the government had no dearth of PG doctors to do residency in hospitals as all government PG seats were linked to the execution of a three-year bond. In Kerala, the government is unable to get the service of PG doctors after the completion of their course because of an existing order which exempted them from executing a bond.

Dr. Geetha said that to make up for the doctors’ deficiency, it had been proposed that doctors be promoted as they gain teaching experience and that eventually, all new MCHs will become self-sufficient.