Thiruvananthapuram: A meeting of representatives of medical professionals in Kerala on Thursday opposed the state government's move to appoint science postgraduates as teachers in the state-run medical colleges.

Addressing reporters, Director of Medical Education V. Geetha said the general opinion was that there was no need to appoint postgraduates as teachers.

"At the moment, there are enough qualified MBBS doctors who can be appointed as teachers, and hence there is no need for postgraduates to be appointed," said Geetha.

Representatives of students, teachers and top medical professionals took part in the meeting.

The state government proposed appointing postgraduates as teachers in the pharmacology, pathology and microbiology departments in five state-run medical colleges.

Geetha will now submit the report of the meeting to the state government, which will make the final decision.

Early this year, the government rose the retirement age of doctors in medical colleges from 55 to 60 years, as 600 posts were vacant. IANS