Kerala Medical College Medicos' Parents seek review of MBBS fee structure, demand comprehensive medical education policy
Kozhikode: After going through the latest expense report provided by KMCT Medical College, Kozhikode, the Parents Coordination of Medical Students (PCOMS), an organized parents' association has demanded a review of the annual fee fixed for the MBBS course.
The parents of almost 12000 medical students, who joined the private medical college in 2017, have demanded that the Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee should initiate a review of the annual fee which it previously fixed for the MBBS course.
PCOMS also demanded that in order to ensure excellence in the medical education sector, a comprehensive medical education policy should be made a part of the political manifesto of the major political parties for the upcoming Assembly elections.
This came after they have considered the bona fide documents provided by the medical college management regarding the recent expenses of the college. The committee stated that the MBBS annual fee for private medical colleges was previously fixed only for 2017-18 and 2020-21 years. The fee for 2018-19 and 2019-20 years was decided by adding a certain percentage to the previous year's fee.
However, one of the PCOMS office-bearers told The Hindu that the recent fee fixed by college authorities in accordance with high court guidelines was actually lesser than the fee that the college charged in previous years which makes it quite questionable. Under such circumstances, the association stated that the fee structure has created uncertainty and anxiousness among thousands of medicos and their parents who started pursuing MBBS in the college since 2017. The association further added, " We demand that the committee review the fee structure on the basis of the actual expense documents submitted by the college managements in the wake of a crucial Supreme Court verdict of February 25, 2021."
As per The Hindu, the association also felt that it is important to address the issue on a political level so that the aggravated parents and the medicos do not get distressed by the issue of fee fixation in every academic year. It demanded that major political parties in the State should take the initiative of introducing a comprehensive medical education policy in their manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections.
PCOMS stated that by reducing the MBBS annual fee to a justified level many meritorious medical aspirants would get the chance of fulfilling their dream of pursuing medical education as still there are many medical aspirants who despite achieving good ranks in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) fails to pursue medical education due to economic crisis.
Many parents of the undergraduate medical students attached to PCOMS stated, " Every year, it becomes a matter of serious concern for thousands of students and parents in the State as medical college managements drag them to courts. Many eligible students have lost their chances because of the uncertainties over fee caused by the managements. The political parties should bring an end to this annual fair of uncertainties by introducing a solid, emulative medical education policy."
Next Story