Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Doctors divided on private colleges

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI APRil 29. While medical and dental college students continued their agitation for the seventh day today, launching a three-day relay fast, their cause has come in for flak from a group of doctors who insist that private medical colleges are welcome and even necessary, though others retorted that it would only commercialise medical education.

Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra have together allowed 64 new medical colleges and would soon be host to 70 per cent of the institutions in the country, and Tamil Nadu would lose out to neighbouring States if it disallowed private colleges, the Tamil Nadu Medical Practitioners' Association (TMPA) said in a statement.

As 50 per cent of the seats in private colleges were reserved for Government allotment, it would mean an additional intake at no cost to the exchequer.

The TMPA president, CMK Reddy, said that while India required about 10 lakh doctors as per WHO stipulations, it had only about half that number and would "need another 300 colleges in the next 10 years to reach the required strength."

On the other hand, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has been wanting to start a private medical college in the State, has also advocated increasing the seats in existing private medical colleges instead of starting new ones.

The IMA nursing home board secretary, T.N. Ravisankar, suggested starting new Government medical colleges in remote areas to balance the improper distribution of doctors in the State.

The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors' Association stood by the agitating students, arguing that private education would cost students up to Rs. 35 lakhs at the graduate level and up to Rs. 50 lakh for specialisation. Hinting that the association would step into the fray soon, its president, K. Prakasam, requested the Chief Minister to intervene and resolve the issue.

The Tamil Nadu Medical Council president, M. Balasubramanian, said the merits and demerits of private colleges would have to be debated, but suggested that the Government allow institutions that did not insist on capitation fees.

While the existing private medical colleges in the State were of a good standard, the same could not be ensured in new private medical colleges.

But the agitating medicos launched a three-day relay fast in batches of 20 students all over the State, while continuing to hold parallel outpatient centres for the fifth day today.

The Medical and Dental Students Association said the High Court order passed on Monday was in its favour and that the onus was now on the Government to find a solution. Expressing optimism that the Government would hold unconditional talks, the students said they were ready to return to classes if a solution could be arrived at.

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