Mangaluru: Health and Family Welfare Minister UT Khader called for a comprehensive meeting with all stake holders to talk on the Wenlock – KMC agreement. He said, after acknowledging the recent reports on the irregularities in the payment of clinical fees made by the Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Mangalore to Wenlock Government Hospital.
On October 17, Newskarnataka.com had carried a special story in connection to the issue – Read More
On Wednesday, November 5, during the review meeting in the Wenlock Hospital, UT Khader raised the issue of improper payments. According to the 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. However, the KMC is only paying half the amount to the Wenlock Hospital.
The payment records of KMC and Wenlock hospital stated that, “The KMC paid over Rs 2.5 crore for over 500 students in 2011-12. However, the amount of payment was reduced to half for the same number of students in 2012-13.”
Apart from KMC, S.S. Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (SSIMRC), Davangere is the only college to use the government hospitals for clinical services in the state. District Surgeon and Medical Superintendent H.R. Rajeshwari told U.T Khader that S.S Institute is making full payment to the hospital.
Hence, U.T Khader sought clarification on the reduction of payment of clinical fee from Dr M. Venkatraya Prabhu, dean of Kasturba Medical College (KMC). Prabhu said KMC is paying half the amount since the hospital is spending more on the maintenance, cleanliness, computerization of records and other such resources.
Hence, KMC is paying half the clinical fees. But, when asked if it was part of the KMC-Wenlock hospital, the KMC representatives said it was discussed by the higher authorities and we have no role in it.
However, there was no proper record of the amount of money being spent by the KMC on the maintenance of Wenlock hospital. In addition to it, the Wenlock hospital had no account of students from KMC working at the hospital and that the KMC hall in the hospital was hardly manned by Wenlock.
Hence, U.T Khader said there is a need to hold a comprehensive meeting of all the stake holders to discuss on the Wenlock-KMC agreement.
It’s learnt that 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.