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Nursing colleges oppose fee structure

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM SEPT. 16. Representatives of self-financing nursing colleges disagreed with the differential fee structure proposed by the Government at the talks convened by the Health Minister, P. Sankaran, here on Tuesday.

The managements demanded that the same fee should apply for both the merit and management quota of 50 per cent each. The fee of Rs. 65,000 (including special fee of Rs. 15,000) should continue for the current year as the committee proposed by the Supreme Court had been constituted to determine fees for the next year.

Representatives of dental, ayurveda, siddha, and B.Pharm colleges, on the other hand, agreed to abide by a fair decision taken by the Government on the fee structure. They submitted their views in writing and sought a Government decision.

The Minister told press persons after the meeting that the Government could not agree to all the demands of the managements of nursing colleges. The nursing college managements, which disagreed with the Government proposal, had sought more time to arrive at their final decision. The Government now had the option of holding further discussions with them or taking the final decision now. He said that those who had applied recently for medical colleges had been asked to sign an agreement to the effect that they would abide by Government decisions. Both Jubilee and Amala medical colleges had signed such agreements.

He said that the fee decided now would be applicable to the entire duration of the course. The president of the Self-Financing Nursing Colleges Association and Director of the Ernakulam Lizzie Hospital, Mathew Muttamthottil, told presspersons that the managements could not agree to cross subsidising of students. Fr. Muttamthottil said that there was no need for changing the status quo now as the fee structure recommended by the committee would come into effect from next year. However, the managements were not for a fight with the Government.

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