Kerala student Albin Joseph moves Supreme Court to realise his dream of studying medicine

Albin Joseph’s dream of studying medicine has hit a roadblock The Kerala High Court has ruled against his admission into a medical college in the state but Albin is determined not to give up and has filed a petition in the Supreme Court.

“I am not ready to give up. I have been nurturing this dream since I was 10 years old”.

Disappointed but undefeated. Albin Joseph’s Facebook post is an indication of just how determined this 18-year-old from Kerala is to fulfil his childhood dream.

Albin has moved the Supreme Court after the Kerala High Court ruled against his admission into the MBBS programme at Kottayam Medical College. Albin, who has a split spine, which is a genetic condition, ranked 1294 in the physically challenged category in the national medical entrance exam – NEET .

The court passed the order after a medical board it had set up to look into the matter said that he had an 80% disability which could not be decreased by technological help. It also said that Albin would not be able to complete the course is offered a seat.

The decision has come as a disappointment to Albin’s family. He had moved the High Court after a state-level medical board for re-certification had certified him as 85% disabled when his disability certificate says it is less than 70%.

Speaking to NewzHook, his family made it clear that they did not agree with the second board’s diagnosis.

We did not expect this order at all. Two doctors, one an orthopaedic expert and the other from the field of physical health and rehabilitation ruled that Albin was unable to even give first aid. Anyone who knows Albin will know this is untrue. He can do all practical’s and other work despite his difficulties. – Annica Joseph, Albin’s sister

Albin, whose disability was detected when he was four months old, underwent multiple surgeries for his condition throughout his childhood. Despite that he maintained a brilliant academic record throughout, After his NEET results, he appeared before a medical board for re-certification, as mandated by the Medical Council of India (MCI), where to his disappointment he was declared 85% disabled. The MCI only allows students with up to 80% disability to pursue MBBS. Albin had then decided to challenge the decision.

The High Court ordered that a seat be kept vacant for him at Kottayam Medical College but that he would have to be cleared by a second medical board. His lawyer Matthew Kuzhalnadan, who is fighting the case free of cost, says that he hopes for a favourable verdict from the apex court going by previous judgements. “The Supreme Court has always had a compassionate stance towards disabled medical aspirants and I hope they do the same with Albin”.

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