Hospital Inside College will Boost Student Intake: CMCH

The Coimbatore Medical College authorities have informed the state government that setting up a government hospital within the college premises may help once they increase their student intake. They said setting up a hospital within the premises will help students attend their clinical hours within the campus instead of having to travel across the city to the government hospital daily. The college is working to develop its infrastructure to raise student intake from 150 to 250. The Coimbatore Medical College had applied to the Medical Council of India (MCI) for permission to raise their student intake from 150 to 250 almost three years back. The MCI had rejected the application while giving them a list of infrastructures required to raise its intake. “It includes more hostel facilities, bigger classrooms, libraries and buildings,” said the college dean, Dr B Ashokan. “It comes up to a budget of ₹1.2 crore per new student or ₹120 crore. Of this, the Center will give us 60 percent and the state government remaining 40 percent,” he said. “While the Center has given us around ₹2 crore to kick-start the work, the state government will give their share of funds any moment now,” he added.

The authorities have said that once this infrastructure comes up it would be easier for students if a government hospital is set up within the college premises. “Though it is still in the discussion stage, we have communicated to them that the presence of a hospital within the college premises will save the students a 9 km travel to and from the college to the hospital every day,” said Dr Ashokan. “It takes at least half an hour every day and students spend half a day in the hospital,” he said.  Health secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan said the discussions were at the preliminary stage. “We do have funding of around ₹300 crore under the JICA scheme, and we do need to set up a new building but where the building is going to come up and whether we require a full-fledged hospital in the college is yet to be discussed or studied,” he said. – TOI