The Trivandrum Medical College Alumni Association has appealed to the government to take necessary steps to accord deemed university status to the oldest medical college in the State.
The growth of the 64-year-old Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, has remained stunted despite being declared a Centre of Excellence by the government. It is important that the institution is elevated to the status of a deemed university to ensure its future growth and development, the alumni association pointed out.
The alumni raised the issue at the 10th annual meet of the association held here during the weekend.
The association, along with the faculty, has decided to represent the matter before the government.
The meet was inaugurated by Vice Chancellor of Kerala University for Health Sciences M.K.C Nair who pointed out that many renowned educational institutions in the West have grown because of the patronage of its alumni.
The association has decided to take up the renovation work of the hostels in the medical college, the association president, M. I. Sahadulla, said in his presidential address.
The first instalment of Rs. 10 lakh, donated by the 1963 MBBS batch, was handed over to the medical college Principal by the batch representative, N.S.D. Raju.
Dr C.R. Soman oration was delivered by the former head of Hepatology, John Hopkins Institute, Paul Thuluvath, while Jacob John, renowned virologist and public health expert, gave a lecture on viral infections in Kerala. Scholarships for medical students were also distributed by the alumni association on the occasion.
The status is necessary to ensure its future growth and development, say college alumni.
