New Delhi/Chandigarh, August 17
The Medical Council of India has asked Punjab government to comply with the requirements of the council failing which the government medical colleges would be de-recognised.
“We had told the state government not to admit students from this year till they comply with the conditions laid down by the council. But I believe they have admitted students and now it is their responsibility to ensure the degrees these students get are recognised by the MCI,” said a top MCI official.
Stating state of medical education in Punjab was akin to the one in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the official added states like Haryana, Himachal, Orissa and Rajasthan had made drastic changes in their government colleges to abide by MCI conditions.
“But conformity to our regulations by Punjab is non-existent. Despite many inspections, there is virtually no action. After the last inspection reports were sent to the state in June this year, we have now received certain compliance reports. But in Punjab the ground reality does not change,” said the official.
The MCI is the regulatory body of medical education in India and every medical college in the country has to meet the conditions laid down by the council to ensure MBBS degrees given to the students are recognised in India and abroad.
The three government medical colleges in Punjab, at Faridkot, Patiala and Amritsar have been at the receiving end from the council as regular MCI inspections in two years have brought forth gradual decay of these colleges due to severe shortage of staff and lack of infrastructure.
Latest inspection reports point to 35 per cent shortage of teaching faculty in Faridkot Medical College, almost 20 per cent in Patiala and another 17 per cent in Amritsar. Other than shortage of staff the MCI has pointed out deficiencies in infrastructure like laboratories, library books, equipment, buildings, rooms, furniture, hostel accommodation, the list is endless.
“The colleges are a picture of sheer neglect and it is only the state government to be blamed. The shortage of staff is a national phenomenon but other states have dealt with it in novel ways. Some states have increased age of retirement while others have created societies to run government colleges more independently and overcome administrative tangles. Many states offer better pay to the teachers. When Punjab says having made up a deficiency, it is found to be mere cosmetic change in next inspection by our team,” said the official.
Director medical education and research, Punjab J.S. Dalal however said the situation was fine now. “At Patiala and Amritsar, we have already filled a large number of posts on contract but some shortage of staff still remains. The infrastructure problems have also been taken care of,” he said adding the government was ready for another inspection by the MCI.
Following the show-cause notices issued by the council to the state that the three medical colleges would be derecognised, the minister and the secretary medical education had gone to the MCI and assured them the government would ensure complete compliance. “The MCI team can visit the colleges tomorrow and they would see the change,” said Dalal.
