SR Medical College and Research Centre in Varkala received a major setback when assessors appointed by the Medical Council of India (MCI) found that there was a 63 per cent faculty deficiency.
The college was recently in the news for providing inadequate and substandard facilities for MBBS students. "Citing the lack of sufficient faculty and a low number of resident doctors, the assessors have cast their doubts on the teaching of the existing batch satisfactorily in its report submitted to the union health ministry, they have asked the Centre to initiate necessary action in this matter.
"The assessors examined whether the college fulfils all requirements for the continuation of the existing MBBS batch. They have found that there is 63 per cent faculty deficiency and 87 per cent resident deficiency. In addition to that there is a deficiency of beds in casualty, absence of research lab among other facilities," reads an excerpt from the report.
The MCI assessors found the college had made deliberate attempts to delay assessment and they faced intimidation and threats during assessments. They were even pressurised to give a favourable report. Attempts were made to prevent them from meeting students. The team could not find certified documents of land, building, occupancy and fire.
Earlier, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, which conducted an inquiry-based on a complaint from a group of students, had recommended redeploying the current batch. It had looked into the complaints of inadequate infrastructural facilities and cases of ghost faculty and patients by the college management.
