Tamil Nadu reduces fees at Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital

CUDDALORE

: The Tamil Nadu government has reduced the fees for undergraduate and postgraduate medical, dental and nursing programmes in

Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital

(RMMCH) and its allied institutions - Rajah Muthiah Dental College and Hospital and Rani Meyyammai College of Nursing – in Chidambaram on a par with other government medical colleges and institutions in the state.

The move comes after the government handed over RMMCH and its allied institutions affiliated to Annamalai University to the health and family department from the administrative control of the higher education department on January 27. The government also announced that RMMCH would treated as a government medical college for Cuddalore district.

The government reduced the fees for MBBS programme to Rs 13,610, BDS to Rs 11,610, MD, MS and MDS to Rs 30,000, postgraduate diploma courses to Rs 20,000, BSc (nursing), BPT (physiotherapy) and BOT (occupational therapy) to Rs 3,000 and MSc (nursing) Rs 5,000 per annum at RMMCH and its allied institutions. The government will fix the fees for MPT (physiotherapy) later.

"The fees structure will be given prospective effect from the date of taking over of the colleges as government colleges. The earlier existing fees prior to taking over, already paid by the students will not be returned nor adjusted against future payment. The benefit of government fee structure as fixed from time to time will be extended to currently studying and forthcoming students," said an order issued by principal secretary (health and family welfare) J Radhakrishnan.

Hitherto, RMMCH and its allied institutions charged Rs 5.6 lakh per annum for MBBS course, Rs 9.6 lakh per annum for MD/MS courses, Rs 3.5 lakh per annum for BDS course and Rs 7.8 lakh per annum for MDS course. The students’ council welcomed the government decision and thanked it for fulfilling their major demand.

The government asked the director of medical education to send a detailed proposal on taking over the properties and liabilities of the colleges 'as it is where it is' basis. The value of the movable and immovable properties of the institutions on 113.21 acres of land is Rs 249.99 crore. The pending liabilities including salaries, pension, stipend, PF and loans is Rs 840.93 crore.

The government also asked the director to initiate efforts to bring the colleges under the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University.

The students of the RMMCH and allied institutions have been staging a protest for the past 60 days demanding the government to reduce the fees. The college management suspended the classes and closed the hostels from January 21 directing the students to vacate the hostels.

Health minister C Vijayabaskar appealed to the students to call off their protest and attend classes as the government led by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami fulfilled their major demand.