Medical college needed at Asramam in Kollam, govt tells Kerala HC

Kochi: The state govt has informed high court that a medical college at Asramam in Kollam is necessary and that the request of the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Corporation in this regard should be approved expeditiously, subject to the fulfilment of all essential conditions, preferably within four weeks.The submission was made in response to a petition filed by Kollam MP N K Premachandran seeking a directive to the state govt to issue an essentiality certificate to the ESI Corporation to enable it to submit an application for the establishment of an ESI Medical College at Asramam in Kollam. Premachandran further contended that, in response to an application submitted by the ESI Corporation for the essentiality certificate, the state had issued a communication stating that the institution lacked the required faculty and infrastructure to commence the MBBS course in accordance with the norms of the National Medical Commission (NMC). Despite the Corporation submitting a detailed action plan along with proposed rectification measures, no further action had been taken, he alleged in the petition.In response, the state govt submitted that it could not issue the essentiality certificate unless it was satisfied that the land, academic buildings, clinical infrastructure, faculty and residents, equipment and other requirements for the proposed medical college complied with MNC regulations. While the need to commence an MBBS course at the ESI Model and Super Specialty Hospital could not be ignored, it must comply with the guidelines and regulations of the Commission. Once the govt is satisfied that the ESI Corporation has complied with the applicable norms, it will expedite the issuance of the requisite certificate to commence the MBBS course, the special govt pleader added.Noting the submission, the bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice V M Syam Kumar disposed of the petition.