Mangalore: Kasturba Medical College (KMC) which has been utilizing the resources of Wenlock district hospital, Mangalore, for decades – to provide clinical facilities to its hundreds of medical students, has finally paid its long overdue clinical fees of Rs.3.48 crores to the government.
“It’s the result of public pressure and continuous follow up”, says RTI activist Haneef, who has extracted information of KMC-Wenlock agreement through RTI for press.
As soon as the issue of improper payments came to public notice, Jagadish Shetty, principal secretary, Health and Family Welfare department, issued notice to Kasturba Medical College (KMC) to pay the pending clinical fees within 15 days.
Kasturba Medical College was required to pay over Rs 5 crore to the Wenlock Hospital as clinical fees, for accommodating over 1,000 students of KMC for the academic years 2010-11 and 2011-12. However, KMC paid a little less than Rs. 2.5 crore citing that the students in their final year of studies did not use the hospital. However, an alumnus of the KMC, who requested anonymity, said that KMC collected clinical fees from students for all the semesters.
KMC, in addition, paid over Rs 65 lakhs towards accrued dues for the academic years -1999-00, 2012-13 and 2013-14. In all, KMC made payment of Rs. 3.48 crore in August to clear all pending dues, said DMO Rajeshwari Devi.
Reduction in clinical fee from 2012
Despite clearing the pending clinical fees in August, KMC has “indirectly deceived Wenlock Hospital” as they paid only half of the prescribed clinical fee to the hospital.
According to government’s norms, KMC is required to pay Rs. 32,000 for every MBBS student and over Rs 1 lakh for every PG degree and PG diploma student as clinical fee for utilizing the facilities of the hospital.
In 2011-12, KMC paid over Rs 2.5 crore for over 500 students to the hospital. But for the same number of students in 2012-13, KMC paid only a little more than Rs. 1 crore.
The response to the RTI that questioned this reduction stated that the directorate of the health, allowed the KMC to pay only half of the prescribed clinical fee “as KMC has been rendering good service, computerizing health records and is spending on the maintenance of Wenlock Hospital”. The reduction was further justified on the grounds that KMC has already spent on the construction of a 50,000 sq.ft new building in the Lady Goschen Hospital, Mangalore.
Shockingly, the new block in the Lady Goschen hospital, Mangalore, referred to in the response to the RTI, does not exist. The only six-floored building which is being constructed in its premises is funded by ONGC-MRPL.
When asked about the permission granted for the reduced clinical fees, UT Khader, Health Minister, Govt. of Karnataka, said, “I will look into it”.
‘No official agreement now’
The current agreement with KMC dates back to 1955, when the then Madras Province allowed KMC to use the infrastructure of the hospital, on payment of clinical fees, which in turn, the KMC collects from the students of their UG and PG medical courses. No time frame was set on the agreement, and it is still considered to subsist for all intents, without the legal sanctity of renewal.
Earlier, district in-charge minister B. Ramanatha Rai had directed Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim to probe into the allegations that the KMC was misusing the Government Wenlock Hospital.
Some activists also feel that KMC has been misusing the resources of Wenlock Hospital for its own growth. “There is no space to accommodate a large number of patients in the hospital, but the KMC is using nearly 7,500 sq. ft. of space on the second floor, outpatient block, chamber for their dean, doctors room, and seminar hall”, Mr. Haneef says.
“If the government seriously takes up the long-pending demand to set up a medical college here, Wenlock Hospital can grow taller independently, he feels.
