nagpur :- MBBS students protests loss of seat

 MBBS students from Indira Gandhi Government Medical College (IGGMC) on Thursday protested the loss of 40 MBBS seats of college due to state apathy. The students took out a rally to the district collector office and submitted a memorandum. Indian Medical Association (IMA), which is supporting the student's agitation against the loss of seats, is demanding that the state government take up construction work of buildings as per norms of Medical Council of India (MCI) immediately.

Before the rally, IMA office bearers including Dr Prashant Nikhade and Dr Sanjay Deotale, president and secretary of Nagpur centre respectively, and representatives of Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association (MSMTA) and Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) extended their support to the students. Dr Nikhade reiterated the IMA stand that it would keep pressing the government to start the process of meeting MCI norms and start construction work of boys and girls hostel, library, casualty, lecture hall etc. These organizations are demanding that the government should start work before September 30 and get sanction for 40 seats this session itself.

Since MBBS students include students from all over the country, Dr Nikhade told them too to support the cause as it would mean loss of 28 Vidarbha seats and 12 all India seats. Dr Anil Laddhad, former IMA president and president of Jan Akrosh, Dr Ashok Lanjewar, president of Jan Manch and a former IGGMC alumnus, and Dr Milind Mane, an alumnus and a corporator extended their support to the students. A rally of over 300 students marched to the collector office and submitted a letter of demands to resident deputy collectorPramod Bhusari with copies for chief minister, medical education minister, guardian minister and collector. IMA plans to keep pressure on to the state government through regular actions.

Ashutosh Ghuge, general secretary of students association of IGGMC, said that 40 seats was a very big loss to regional and all India students. Students told TOI that the government had no right to put future of so many students in jeopardy. One intern said, "If the seats are reduced, future batches will be overloaded with work. It will also lead to a drastic fall in doctor patient ratio."

Students also complained of lack of teaching rooms. "In the OPD teaching rooms, where one doctor teaches 40 students, the students can't even hear the teacher. College library is expected to accommodate 500 students but has place for just 100," said a final year student.