Reiterating the Congress government’s resolve of establishing medical colleges in every district, Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil on Friday said the focus is on increasing the number of medical seats by setting up new government medical colleges in the State and added that there are plans to open medical colleges in Ramanagara and Kanakapura. The newest medical college set up in the State was at Chitradurga.
Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a medical exhibition at the Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMCRI) as a part of its centenary celebrations here, Dr. Patil said Karnataka is among the states in the country that has the highest number of medical seats. Between 2013-18, during the Congress rule under Mr. Siddaramaiah, seven government medical colleges were established, he stated.
Backing the ‘one district-one medical college’ stand, the Minister said 23 districts have government medical colleges and the remaining will also get one in the coming years.
Flays circular
While criticizing a circular from the Centre that apparently “limits medical seats”, he maintained that the circular states a maximum of 100 seats be approved for a population of 10 lakhs and described it “unscientific”. “How is it possible to limit the seats when there is so much demand for medical education and Karnataka’s population is around 7 crore,” he asked.
The Minister said the State has opposed the move and has already replied to the Centre on its move, which, he alleged, was nothing but a “step-motherly treatment” by the Centre against the southern states.
Dr. Patil said the State will go ahead with its plan of establishing new medical colleges and added that it was working on filling up the vacancies in the existing colleges. The number of vacancies in MMCRI here will also be filled up in the next three months, he replied.
MMCRI seats to go up
Dr. Patil said the government has favored the increase in the number of intake in MMCRI from 150 to 200 seats. In this connection, he has written a letter to the NMC.
When asked about the new medical colleges, he said the Chief Minister will take a call on establishing the colleges at Ramanagara and Kanakapura (which is represented by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar).
Dr. Patil promised to address the demands of the existing colleges including the MMCRI which is celebrating its centenary. All support will be extended to the MMCRI for its centenary.
Vacancies
Dr. Patil promised to fill up the vacancies in MMCRI in the next three months. “It’s 100% certain that the vacant posts will be filled up in three months. Next time, when I visit the MMCRI, the posts will be filled up,” he told reporters.
He said 44 assistant professors’ posts, 10 associate professors’ posts, and 150 nursing staff are vacant in the MMCRI and these posts will be filled up on priority. The staff and equipment required for the super-speciality hospital and the trauma care center in Mysuru that have started functioning will also be taken care of, he assured.
Dr. Patil, who visited the K.R. Hospital and other facilities of MMCRI, said an MRI scanner had been established and all other support necessary will be extended on priority.
The Minister said he had issued directions to all the medical college hospitals for installing CCTVs.
MLA K Harish Gowda, MMCRI Dean and Director K.R. Dakshayani and others were present. Earlier, the Minister went around the exhibition at the MMCRI’s library building, and also reviewed the preparations done for centenary celebrations.
