Warangal: MBBS students detention raises questions on parental responsibility

Warangal: The ongoing row over the detention of a large number of medicos due to shortage of attendance has raised a few pertinent questions over parental responsibility. Some of the students and their parents have been up in arms against Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) administration since the latter had gone by rule book detaining 176 medicos, who fell short of the minimum required attendance in social and preventive medicine.

Under pressure from various quarters, the administration might yield, and permit the students attend the examinations scheduled to begin later this month. If so, what kind of precedent it was going to set was the lingering doubt among the faculty members? The moot point here is that how long such a freedom that allows students bunk classes and have a free run according to their will and wish. Unlike the others, those who are pursuing MBBS require as much practical knowledge as possible in addition to the academic brilliance. Notwithstanding this fact, the approach of many of the students seems to be perplexing. It's surprising to see these students, who indeed had worked hard to get admission into MBBS, deviating from their goal, a professor said.

The professor found fault with the parents for being overprotective and pampering their wards by providing them luxuries beyond needs. He questioned the rationale of the parents, who were coming in defence of their wards, who were detained due to shortage of attendance.

The KMC administration, which appointed a mentor each for every 14 students of the first year MBBS students, organised parents meeting on January 9 and 10 ahead of Sankranthi holidays. Surprisingly, parents of only 11 students of the 250 first year students had attended the meeting. "The parents were too busy perhaps," a professor quipped, stating that such was the kind of responsibility the parents have.

Meanwhile, some students, who were detained, accused the administration of not letting them informed about their attendance. Some of them sought excuse, stating that they had to miss some classes due to the Diamond Jubilee celebration that took place in July 2019. Amid all this, a team of officials from the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), Hyderabad, reportedly

suggested the KMC authorities to relook into

the issue.

Speaking to The Hans India, the KMC Principal Dr S Sandhya said: "We are working on the parameters suggested by the DME. A revised list is being prepared. We are trying to help the students within the guidelines."

Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health

Sciences (KNRUHS) Vice-Chancellor

Dr B Karunakar Reddy said: "We have nothing to do with the students' attendance. We will adhere to the list sent by the KMC in case it submits a revised list of students eligible for attending examination."