Asifabad: MBBS Students Protest for Better Facilities
By : Shrimansi Kaushik
Update: 2025-01-02 16:37 GMT
HYDERABAD: Without practical knowledge, there is no use of an MBBS degree, shouted a student protestor in front of the office of the Komaram Bheem district collector, demanding proper infrastructure, faculty and basic medical facilities in the Asifabad Government Medical College and Hospital.
MBBS students from the college protested and gave representation to the collector on severe lack of basic facilities, faculty and infrastructure in the medical college.
"We are facing many problems regarding our classes, practical labs and dissections. Besides academic problems, we are suffering from security and sanitation issues," said another student.
"We don't have even the minimum faculty required to teach a whole batch of students. We are currently being taught by residents and senior residents who will leave within one year. There are only four permanent faculty members. There is a serious lack of professors, assistant professors, associate professors, heads of departments or qualified lab technicians. Regular classes are not being held. We don't have equipment for our practical classes. There are not enough laboratories. We have completed three out of 11 months of an academic year and still we have not received at least one cadaver while a minimum of eight are required as per NMC norms," said Sanjana, a second year MBBS student.
Students mentioned that the college did not have important departments like OB and gynecology, dermatology and ophthalmology. There are sanitation issues as well like no dustbins and washrooms.
Not only the college but the government hospital is facing severe lack of basic medical facilities, such that students are not able to treat one of their own. On Wednesday, one of the students fainted and became unconscious. "We could not treat her at the Asifabad Government Hospital as it lacks even most basic medical facilities. We had to shift her to Mancherial hospital. Her condition was way too critical to handle as her seizures were not stopping. How will we save others when we cannot even save ourselves?" a student questioned.
A government medical doctor told Deccan Chronicle that this was the situation in almost all newly-established medical colleges in the state. "There were no recruitments until recently as per requirements of medical colleges. Most of the private medical colleges are thriving on on-roll faculty but it’s not possible in government sector where contractual recruitments are done, that too with meagre salaries. "Someone should control NMC which is dishing out permissions to whoever applies for permission by relaxing all norms and regulations," he said.
Students were assured by the collector that the matter will be raised with the director of medical education.