Haveri: The people of Haveri rejoiced when
Basavaraj Bommai was elevated to the office of the
chief minister of Karnataka. The people in the relatively new district believed that Bommai, in whom the residents have reposed immense faith having elected him to the assembly from the Shiggaon-Savanur constituency thrice, would accelerate the pace of development in Haveri. Among the longstanding demands of the residents of Haveri is that the government establish a state-run medical college.
However, even after six months since Bommai was sworn in as the CM, no steps have been taken to bring this dream closer to reality.
Although classes were slated to commence at the
Haveri Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS) from the 2021-22 academic year, the
National Medical Council (NMC) did not give its nod. However, the
Chikkaballapur Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) in
medical education minister K Sudhakar’s home district, got the nod to start classes from the 2021-22 academic year. Stakeholders in Haveri district attributed the failure on the part of the authorities concerned to commence classes at
HIMS to lack of political will.
Sources said that the Karnataka government had appealed to the NMC to give its nod to start classes at medical colleges in Yadgir, Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagalur and Haveri. However, NMC refused approval to all institutions barring the one in Chikkaballapur, citing lack of infrastructure, besides lack of staff.
The four medical colleges were inspected by members of the NMC in August, and a meeting was convened with the heads of the medical colleges to review the condition of the four colleges.
A BJP leader in Haveri lamented the delay in HIMS being given the nod to start classes, despite the CM having been elected to the assembly from the district. “The CM must try to ensure that HIMS is given permission to start classes in 2022-23 academic year,” he said.
Special officer for HIMS Dr Uday Mulagund said, “According to the academic calendar for medical courses, counselling for MBBS seats commenced on Friday (January 27). The exercise will end on March 31. Since we have two months, we hope we get NMC’s approval to start classes, and offer HIMS as an option for the students in the second and third rounds of counselling.”