There is Disorder in Administration: HC reprimands Maharashtra Medical College

Nagpur: “Disorder is prevailing in the administration of the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College (IGGMC)…,” stating this, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court recently pulled up the authorities of the medical institute for its apparent laxity in improving the infrastructure; even after the High Court’s orders on the same.

Seeing the institute’s frequent excuses on the matter, the court ordered the top authorities to straighten up the medical college’s infrastructure and pay personal attention to the issue.

The reprimand came once the court came to know that the institute has not complied with its earlier orders regarding the installation of MRI machine at the medical institute, despite the amount of Rs 12 crore for installing the medical equipment, already been given nod to.

On September 12, the court had directed to complete the whole installation process in eight weeks, however, till this date the Indira Gandhi Medical College’s administration failed to do so, citing one reason or another.

Read Also: PRIMS 2nd year MBBS students cannot be accommodated in Govt Medical colleges: Govt to Court

The matter came up via a petition filed by one Dr Ravi Bang. During the hearing, the division bench consisting honourable Justices Sunil Shukre and S M Modak was taken aback by the various excuses cited by the medical college authorities, in the past and now too, for covering its laziness in improving infrastructural deficiencies. It wondered about new reason cited every time by the authorities.

At this hearing, on the issue of installing the MRI machine, the medical college authorities tried to justify its delay while submitting, “As the design of the building or the structure, where the MRI machine was to be installed, had to conform to the norms of Atomic Energy Board (AEB), MRI machine could not be installed, in spite of availability of funds till the structure consistent with the norms of Atomic Energy Board was built. Presently that structure is not available with IGGMC and the college authorities are finding it difficult to initiate the process for installation of MRI machine.”

The High Court wondered as to why the IGGMC and State Government had failed to take any step for installation of MRI machine when they were running the post-graduation as well as diploma courses in Radiology and why they did not procure permission from Atomic Energy Board or construct building conforming to such norms.

The court noted that earlier, a paucity of funds was cited as a reason for not having MRI machine and now, the funding problem is resolved, then too, the medical college is unable to install the machine. This time, the non-availability of building as per AEB norms is forwarded as a justification for the delay. The court was reportedly upset with the authorities’ justifications.

As a result, the High Court dismissed these “excuses” stating that they are nothing but “avoidance of the duty by those, who are entrusted with the responsible job of imparting training to the students.”

Read Also: IGGMC faces MCI derecognition, if paucities not overcome

Reaching its conclusion, the bench refused to accept the feeble justifications put forth by IGGMC administration about the alleged delay and put the medical college on notice to honour the earlier orders about the installation of MRI machine.

The bench later asked the highest authorities at State Government to look into the matter by paying their personal attention. In addition, the court directed the top authorities to “see that the disorder which is prevailing in the administration of the affairs of the Indira Gandhi Medical College is set right at the earliest.”

The Hitavada reports that the High Court directed IGGMC and state authorities to ensure that the MRI machine is installed at the earliest and preferably within the next six weeks. The High Court warned,

“No further leniency would be shown in the matter and in case there is a non-compliance with this order, this Court shall not hesitate to consider the non-compliance as willful disobedience by the concerned authorities.”