From NEET exemption to new AIIMS: Stalin’s 11-point memo to Union Health Minister

Chief Minister Stalin’s memorandum sought the betterment of health education infrastructure, including more colleges and funding.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday, January 12, presented a memorandum of the state’s demands to Union Health Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya. The 11-point memorandum included some long-standing demands of the state, including the contentious move to exempt students from Tamil Nadu from writing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical courses.

In the memorandum, the Chief Minister said Tamil Nadu may be permitted to fill all professional seats including MBBS, BDS and AYUSH courses on the basis of Class 12 marks alone. Also, the Union government should expedite the establishment of AIIMS at Madurai and sanction a new AIIMS for Coimbatore, he wrote.

On the all-India quota system, CM Stalin said 50% of PG seats and 15% of UG seats are surrendered to the all-India quota based on the scheme drawn by the Supreme Court. Also, all super speciality seats are surrendered to the all-India quota. "This serves as a huge disincentive to the state governments which invest in health by earmarking huge resources for running those medical institutions. Hence, the government must examine abolition of the system of all India quota in respect of fully State funded medical institutions," he said in the memorandum.

The Union government could think of enacting a legislation to allow such retention of seats in respect of fully funded government medical colleges, he suggested.

Financial assistance for establishing 19 district headquarters hospitals in the state and a proposal for Rs 950 crore aid for providing effective and affordable healthcare services for the people in districts were among the other demands.

Here is what the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister sought in the memorandum:

> Change in medical admission policy to do away with NEET: The CM has asked that Tamil Nadu be allowed to fill all professional seats including MBBS/BDS/AYUSH courses on basis of Class XII marks alone. He added that a Bill has also been passed in the Assembly, aiming to ensure social justice and protect all vulnerable student communities from discrimination in admissions to medical education programmes.

> Construction of AIIMS: Seeking the speeding up of the construction and the establishment of AIIMS at Madurai, the CM said that though two years have lapsed, only a compound wall has come up at the designated site and there has not been any other physical progress in the establishment of the institution. CM Stalin has also sought the construction of AIIMS in Coimbatore as well, stating that this will help the western district or delta district of Tamil Nadu to further enhance the quality of tertiary care.

> Abolition of All-India quota for state funded institutions: The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has asked the Union government to examine abolition of the system of All India quota, in fully state-funded medical institutions. The government of India can bring a legislation to allow such retention, the CM said.

> Establishment of government medical colleges, upgrading district hospitals: The CM has asked for the establishment of six new government ,edical colleges in districts without one, namely Ranipet, Thirupattur, Kancheepurm, Perambalur, Tenkasi and Myladuthurai. The CM has also proposed the establishment of district headquarters hospitals in 19 districts across Tamil Nadu, and has sought Rs 950 crore to provide upgrade the 19 sub-district hospitals.

> Reservation of 50% seats in super speciality (DM / M.Ch.) courses: In the memorandum, the CM also informed the Health Minister that Tamil Nadu has decided to allocate 50% of the super specialty seats (DM / M.Ch.) in government medical colleges to in-service candidates of Tamil Nadu, and to allocate remaining 50% seats to the Government of India or Director General of Health Services, from the academic year 2020-21, and to fill up these seats based on the marks obtained in NEET-Super Speciality. Additionally, the CM asked the Union government to ensure service quota reservation in the DM/M.Ch courses during the counselling as well, saying that as failure of such a reservation policy “have led to erosion of the super specialist care” in state-run hospitals.

> Compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI): The CM has asked that intake capacity of foreign medical students to pursue compulsory rotating medical internships be increased from 7.5% to 20% every year, so as to enable the graduates to pursue and complete their internship within two years’ time, as framed in the National Medical Commission (CRMI) Regulations, 2021.

> Additional funding under National Health Mission: The CM has sought an increase of 20% in National Health Mission central allocation, saying there is a need to create 19 district headquarter hospitals to meet secondary care health requirements.

> Objection to the draft post graduate medical education regulations: Stating that the draft regulations intend to undermine the role of the states, CM Stalin said that it is ‘unfortunate” that such draft regulations have been formulated without a proper understanding of the current pre-dominant role of state governments in post graduate medical education. 

 

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