No OP or IP duty, AIIMS-Madurai students left staring at empty beds, bleary future

CHENNAI: No proper classrooms or laboratories, poorly stocked library, and no exposure to what they should actually be doing. This is not the struggle faced by the students of one of the several neglected primary schools in some godforsaken corner of the State, but those studying at the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Madurai.

When they cleared the highly competitive National Eligibility cum Entrance Test with flying colours and secured a seat there, the hope was to graduate from one of the most sought-after institutions in the country that is known across the world.

But at AIIMS-Madurai, which has been “temporarily” functioning from Government Ramanathapuram Medical College and Hospital premises for three years and counting, these students who hail from various parts of the country don’t have even basic facilities. Making matters worse, they don’t even get to train in the operation theatres, clinical blocks, or even check the outpatients.

"We are using the academic block of the Government Ramanathapuram Medical College and Hospital for classes, which has only two lecture halls, one laboratory, and one library. The classrooms are divided using cupboards from the faculty centre,” rued a student from the first batch, who is now in the third year.

There are now three batches of AIIMS students, each with 50 students, while there are 300 students in two batches under the State government medical college. “The State students are given the inpatient and outpatient postings. There is only one lab that all of us from the three batches of AIIMS students should share,” said another student.

These students are posted at wards. But with hardly any patients there, the activity is limited to sitting throughout the posting staring at empty beds. "Clinical exposure is not so required in the first year, so we were able to manage. But now we require practice as the course progresses. We have not been allowed in the operation theatre or even the outpatient or in-patient block because the State government students are posted there. Without any clinical exposure, there is no way we can treat the patients in the future," added the student.

“We are supposed to be trained in the clinical blocks and we should be given the exposure to operation theatres. We are lagging in clinical exposure when compared to those from other institutions," added another third-year student.

Taking up the matter officially, the Student Association of AIIMS-Madurai has made a formal representation lack of clinical exposure and academic facilities for the 2021, 2022, and 2023 batch students.

When contacted, Dr M Hanumantha Rao, the executive director of the institution, told DT Next that they have brought the issues to the notice of the Union Health Secretary and recommended solutions. “A committee from the Union government will visit the government medical college and interact with the students regarding their issues. The committee will decide on what needs to be done based on that,” said Dr Rao, adding that the committee is expected to visit after the Lok Sabha elections are over.

Rs 1,264-cr project lies in ventilator since 2019

As per the plan, AIIMS-Madurai is to come up at a 200-acre land in Thoppur, to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,264 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for AIIMS Madurai on January 27, 2019, but the Bhoomi Pooja for commencing the construction took five more years, on March 5. This delay has been a political issue, with the DMK and others flaying the Union government for the delay. When the project remaining in limbo invited severe criticisms from political rivals, the authorities decided to start classes temporarily at Ramanathapuram medical college.

Not tough to understand why AIIMS students seek transfer

After finding no end to their wait for a proper, exclusive institution, students of AIIMS-Madurai are now seeking a transfer to some other Institute of National Importance such as JIPMER or any other AIIMS.

Speaking to DT Next on condition of anonymity, a second-year student said he had scored a good enough rank in NEET that made him eligible for a seat in JIPMER, AIIMS Rishikesh or AIIMS Rajkot. However, his brother could get admission to AIIMS-Madurai, which prompted him, too, to choose the same. “I believed AIIMS-Madurai would be the same standard as other AIIMS. Now I am regretting my decision to join here,” he said.

It is not difficult to see why they are worried about their education being hampered by the limited resources available at the Government Ramanathapuram Medical College Hospital. There is only one laboratory and skill lab for the students of all three batches, while the so-called Central Library does not have books for the second and third-year students.

"The library does not have books for second and third-year students. Our classes get over only by 4.30 pm but the library shuts down by 6.30 pm, leaving us just 1.5-2 hours. There is one laboratory for the six subjects - physiology, biochemistry, forensics, microbiology, pathology and pharmacology. How do we manage with such limited resources," he asked.

The accommodation facilities are another pain point for them, with four students in each room. “In 2022, they assured us that the new premises would be constructed by 2024 and we would be moved there. But there is no change even now, and the rooms are very congested. At this rate, even the next batch will also be accommodated with us,” said a second-year student.