KOCHI: A controversy is raging with the state government refusing to recommend to the Centre to convert all PG diploma medical seats in government colleges in the state into PG degree medical seats which the central government had sought in the light of a Supreme Court verdict. The state wants a portion of these seats to be reserved for aspiring doctors in government service when converted into PG degree seats which has not happened so far.
There are close to 100 PG diploma seats in Kerala government medical colleges. The government is facing the charge that due to its attitude, the meritorious state candidates are losing precious medical PG degree seats. There are also allegations that the government is doing it under pressure from government doctors' associations.
A senior state health department official said the situation arose because of the Supreme Court order striking down reservation for government doctors in PG degree seats.
"We approached the centre to amend the MCI Act incorporating provisions for reservation for government doctors in PG degree seats but the centre opined that since the new Bill on MCI was coming, it could be incorporated in that. However, since Parliament held its last session recently, the Bill could not be moved forward. Hence it has reached a stalemate," he said.
He pointed out that the state government wants a portion of the PG seats in government medical colleges to be reserved for doctors in government service. "This is one attraction for getting doctors to government service. The state government's stand now is that only if a portion of these seats is reserved for government doctors, they needed to be converted into PG degree seats," he said.
"The value of PG degree seats is much higher than diploma seats and those having just an MBBS degree also do not carry much weight. Two-three attempts are sometimes needed to crack the PG degree entrance and any increase in its number is a big relief for the aspirants. In fact, the private medical colleges in the state have already approached the centre for converting their PG diploma seats into PG degree seats. Several other states too have approached the centre in this regard. We should not lose this opportunity to help the meritorious MBBS graduates who aspire for the PG seats by insisting on helping doctors in government service," said Dr N.K. Sanil Kumar of Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer Movement.
