The Telangana Junior Doctors' Association (JUDA) on Friday, July 8, extended their support to medical students of three private medical colleges — MNR Medical College and Hospital in Sangareddy, Mahavir Institute of Medical Sciences in Vikarabad and TRR Institute of Medical Sciences in Patancehru. The National Medical Commission (NMC), on May 19, cancelled 450 MBBS seats and 70 PG seats in these colleges.
Several students protested along with their parents outside the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) on July 8 demanding that they should be given admissions to other colleges immediately as they were losing a full year. “After facing many struggles, we got our medical seats and now after attending one and a half months, they have cancelled our seats,” said a first-year MBBS student on condition of anonymity. She said that they protested for five hours under the rain but there was no response.
Dr M Rajeev, a member of JUDA, said that according to the guidelines, the NMC can cancel admission in colleges at any time after their inspection. Additionally, the NMC directs the university to reallocate students into other medical colleges in the city when they cancel admission. While the NMC has already done so, the state government is prolonging the solution, he said.
“It has already been four months since this issue. If they are not given seats, then it will indirectly impact the health of people in the state as these people will eventually become doctors,” said Rajeev. While they did give a representation to the university administration regarding the same issue previously, they haven’t received a response yet.
Dr Kartik Nagula, another member of JUDA, said that the NMC took the decision of cancellation due to infrastructure issues in these colleges. “It is not the students’ mistake. Already the courses are tough and if their seats are cancelled it will cause trauma to them and their parents,” he said. He added that the group of doctors extended their support to the students as they are in the same medical community.