Idukki's loss is Kochi's gain

KOCHI: Ernakulam Government Medical College can breathe easy. Health secretary Rajeev Sadanandan has said that funds won’t be a problem for the development of the medical college and his office is set to clear the Rs 1.1 crore immediate ‘resuscitation’ package for the college, which was conceived in the wake of the death of MBBS student Shamna Tasnim.

The Director of Medical Education has cleared the package and according to sources in the DME office, the funds were arranged by diverting those meant for Idukki Medical College this year. The state government has decided not to admit students to the medical college this year and the existing students are being accommodated in other government medical colleges in the state, pending the development of the medical college.

The list of equipment needed have been listed out by the principal (see box) after holding talks with the students and the staff and handed over to the DME which is now in the office of the Health Secretary. “A medical college needs to have all basic facilities. No one can think of a situation where such facilities and equipment are absent. I am here to clear that,” Mr Rajeev Sadanandan said told this newspaper.

Students also want a full-fledged cardiology department close to the new cancer centre which is also under consideration of the health department. A larger meeting is set to be convened of officials in the presence of the health minister after the immediate needs are met, it is learnt.