Shimoga may get medical college in 2006-07

State Government named its six medical colleges in their city names. Government had formed a governing council for each of these medical colleges, revealed honorary president of Shimoga District Development Forum Dr K A Ashok Pai.In this direction, Medical college sanctioned in Shimoga is named as Shimoga Institute of Medical Science. Like this, it allotted names to every college, he said.President for each Governing Council is the Medical Education Minister and District In-charge Minister is Vice-president. Concerned college Principal is the member-secretary.Governing Council will meet at places where medical colleges are established. In Shimoga Governing Council meeting will be held on July 16.
PRINCIPAL RETIRED: Government appointed Principals to each of these colleges. But Shimoga Medical College Principal Dr Balakrishna is retired. It is still uncertain whether the government continue him on contract or appoint another person. In other colleges, all the principals have rejected the posts for different reasons.STAFF PROBLEM: New college faces a staff shortage. While the government invited applications for 118 posts in pre-clinical division. Only 30 persons responded. Hardly, two among them were eligible to head the departments.To start a medical college, teaching staff must be there in pre-clinical, anatomy and other departments. But none is ready to come to these posts at a salary offered by the Government. In private colleges, they get not less than Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000.So the government allowed the governing Council to pay 50 per cent more than the usual salary. But even 50 per cent more than the prescribed salary does not exceed Rs 40,000, pointed out Dr Ashok Pai.
NO LOCAL REPRESENTATION: He alleged that the local representation was not given on Governing Council. He demanded that the IMA representatives and Vedike office bearers should be taken on the Council.
STREET FIGHT UNNECESSARY: Vedike also opined that there was no need to come to the streets to demand for Government Medical College.When the facts are very clear and when Government is also unable to get medical college from the current year itself all must put their effort to get the college from next academic year, Vedike opined.Dr Ashok Pai said, ‘‘If a building with 4000 sq ft is ready to accommodate classrooms, Shimoga may get Medical College by 2006-07.’’ It is necessary to pressurise the Government in this regard, he added. Mahendrappa, N Gopinath and others were present in the press meeting.