Admissions to SFMCs heading towards a crisis

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The delay in signing agreement between the State Government and Kerala Self-Financing Medical College Managements Association is pushing the admission process in self-financing medical colleges towards a crisis.

This is because as per the deadline set by the Medical Council of India (MCI), the first round of admission process has to begin in July and classes should commence on August 1.

The MCI also stipulates that the admissions had to be completed by September 30.  Though the Associations had agreed to give 50 per cent seats to the government with reduced fees, a formal agreement on the same could not be signed for various reasons.

Sources said that the Health Department had already prepared the draft agreement to be signed with the medical college managements. However, the medical college managements were buying time for the case relating to the admissions to come up before the High Court.  The Kerala High Court had earlier granted permission to the Managements’ Association to conduct entrance examination for admissions to management quota seats for MBBS courses in the colleges under it and to publish the results.

However, the court had restrained the managements from proceeding with the admission procedure. The High Court had made it clear that further procedure would be subject to its decision.

The decision of the Dr Somervell Memorial CSI Medical College, Karakonam, one of the members of the Association, not to be part of the agreement this year following controversies over the collection of capitation fees has also delayed the agreement.  This was because, Sajan Prasad, who represented the college, had resigned from the post of the secretary of the Association.  Prasad, also a lawyer, was one of the persons who had been looking after the legal aspects of various cases in different courts.