Punjab: MCI derecognises 150 MBBS seats at Adesh institute of Medical Sciences

Bhatinda: Students of Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, as the Medical council of India is reported to have derecognised MBBS seats in the college.

The MCI inspection of the Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (AIMSR), Bathinda, in May this year brought forth deficiencies of a nature impermissible, leading to the apex body de-recognizing 150 seats of the institute’s MBBS course.

The MCI pointed out that deficiencies related to faculty were 27.6 %, shortage of residents- 32.94 % and bed occupancy- 19.69%. The MCI officers were met with locks on the TB, chest, skin, and VD wards. There were no in patients in Opthamology while the female Psychiatry wards had male admissions. The store, examination cum treatment room and pantries of various wards were not not functional. OPD attendance and bed occupancy records were found inflated, while there was only one case of normal delivery and one of cesarean reported on the day of assessment. The ICU had only seven for the combined MICU/SICU as against the sanctioned requirement of 10 .

There were also no patients in PICU/NICU; while dissection tables were seen lying in the gallery of the anatomy department. The dissection hall was also found not functional. The Rural Health Training Center’s cold chain equipment was also found to be insufficient in accordance to needs. Besides the stated there were many other shortcomings that were also pointed at by the MCI.

The executive committee of the MCI decided not to recommend continuance of recognition of the MBBS degree. It further decided to apply clause 8(3)(1)(c) of the Establishment of Medical College Regulation (Amendment), 2010, under which the colleges (already recognized for award of the MBBS degree and/or running postgraduate courses) are observed with the deficiency of more than 10 per cent of teaching faculty and residents and/or bed occupancy is below 70 per cent, the compliance of rectification of deficiency from such an institute will not be considered for the issue of renewal of permission in that academic year.Such institute will not be considered for the processing of applications for postgraduate courses in that academic year and will be issued show-cause notices as to why the recommendation for the withdrawal of recognition of the courses run by that institute should not be made for undergraduate and postgraduate courses which are recognized under section 11(2) of the IMC Act,1956, along with the direction of stoppage of admissions in permitted postgraduate courses.

The apex body also took a decision to not consider the institute for processing applications for the post graduate courses for the coming year. Though it did ask Adesh Institute to submit its compliance report on rectification of deficiencies within a month.

The Medical Council however, delayed posting its inspection report on its website in view of the admission process for MBBS seats in AIMSR under Adesh University . The report which under normal routine was to be uploaded in June this year, was on display in November, after the admission process was completed in August- September.

The MCI inspection in March had observed that Adesh had neither provided important details to the MCI about the ‘consensual agreement’ between AIMSR and the state government for seat sharing, nor had it submitted any details of students admissions like names, marks obtained in Class XII and the entrance examination.

The apex body also took a decision to not consider the institute for processing applications for the post graduate courses for the coming year. Though it did ask Adesh Institute to submit its compliance report on rectification of deficiencies within a month.

The Medical Council however, delayed posting its inspection report on its website in view of the admission process for MBBS seats in AIMSR under Adesh University . The report which under normal routine was to be uploaded in June this year, was on display in November, after the admission process was completed in August- September.

The MCI inspection in March had observed that Adesh had neither provided important details to the MCI about the ‘consensual agreement’ between AIMSR and the state government for seat sharing, nor had it submitted any details of students admissions like names, marks obtained in Class XII and the entrance examination.

The apex bodies report mentioned, , “If the names of admitted students, marks obtained in Class XII and the entrance examinations were not provided, how was the list processed by the section? Why were these facts omitted in original remarks? The section should place these details before the sub-committee for the consideration and re-submission of the item in the next EC meeting.”

It has also been observed that AIMSR is the only institute that does not have a government quota of seats. Five other medical colleges of the state have a consensual agreement, under which there are 50 per cent ‘government quota’ seats at a fee of Rs 13.43 lac for the entire five year course .

The Medical Council observed that Adesh, instead offered 15 per cent NRI quota seats, while for the rest of the 85 per cent, they are charging a fee of Rs 40.3 lakh per student for the MBBS course.

Dr CV Bhirmanandham, Vice-President, MCI Executive Committee and Dr GB Gupta, Member, Executive committee, refused to comment, maintaining they are not authorized and that instead MCI Secretary should be contacted for the same

The Secretary, MCI, Dr Reena Nayyar however, was not available for comment. Dr Radha Madhab Tripathy promised to look into the issue.

Dr Harkiran Kaur, Principal, AIMSR said, “We have filed the compliance report in November this year. The deficiencies were minute and we have covered them. More ‘faculty’ has been recruited while other deficiencies have also been covered.”

Four courses of AIMSR also stand ‘de recognized’ by the MCI along with some degrees of students being stated as ‘not-recognized’ by the apex body. After due study of the Council Assessor’s Report of Inspection, done in June, this year, the Postgraduate Medical Education (PME) Committee of the MCI, came to the conclusion of not granting recognition to the qualification of MS (General Surgery), MD (Pathology)and MD (Community Medicine) courses with respect to students being trained at the AIMSR.

The denial of recognition was based on the low standards of examination and other teaching facilities. It was these deficient that led to the MCI to disapprove ‘Recognition of qualification’ for two seats each under MD(Microbiology), and MS(General Surgery); Four seats under MD(Pathology); and three seats under MD (Community Medicine).

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