‘Disadvantageous to the students’

http://www.hindu.com/edu/2007/12/10/stories/2007121050550100.htm

The proposal to increase the course tenure by a year, apparently aimed at improving rural health services, is disadvantageous to the students, says Dr. G. Sunita Subramanyam, Principal, SVMC.

That the monthly salary of Rs. 8,000 proposed to be paid to them during the tenure is on the lower side is another refrain.

“I feel that focus should first be laid on improving infrastructure in the PHCs and creating the working ambience before considering such a proposal. In the absence of proper facilities for blood transfusion and other essential requirements, the medicos may not be able to handle the cases independently.

Meanwhile, the proposal to introduce one year compulsory posting of fresh medical students in rural areas is being met with stiff resistance at Sri Venkateswara Medical College, Tirupati.

In fact, SVMC was among the 12 medical colleges in the country and the only one in Andhra Pradesh toured by the High Level Committee. The committee was appointed by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), New Delhi to collect opinion from the students, academicians, parents and the community at large.

The five-member team led by R.Sambasiva Rao, Additional Director-General, DGHS, with three doctors and an Under-Secretary as members, closeted with a cross section of the fraternity including undergraduate students, house surgeons, medical practitioners and social activists at the college premises on December 1.

As it was the only occasion to voice their concern, students from across the State i.e., Siddhartha (Vijayawada), Gandhi (Hyderabad), Kurnool, Guntur, Andhra (Vizag), Rangaraya (Kakinada), RIMS (Kadapa) and Narayana (Nellore) medical colleges attended the meet in large numbers and gave their opinion in the negative.

Apart from several faculty members and parents, over 600 students submitted their representations to the team, expressing their resentment at the move.

The medicos had sat on a strike a couple of days ahead of the team’s visit, but the agitation was subsequently dropped on getting convinced that the team was here only to ‘collect opinion’ .

A.D. RANGARAJAN

in Tirupati