Violations of MCI norms: Former PG Medicos of Gian Sagar Medical College approach Tribunal

The claim of the petitioners is that since they were doing PG course at the institute, they were entitled to receive stipends as per the MCI regulations,which had not been paid by the cash strapped Gian Sagar Medical college

Patiala: Gian Sagar Medical College has yet again become the talking point after nine of its former PG students, who were shifted to another medical college after its controversial shutdown; have moved the education tribunal seeking directions to the medical college to pay back their outstanding dues.

The PG medicos have submitted in their petition that the medical college had stopped their stipends of Rs. 45,990 per month for the academic year 2016-2017, violating the rules of the apex Medical Council of India (MCI).

Medical Dialogues has extensively reported about the shutdown and revival of Gian Sagar Medical College. The medical institute was shut down in February 2017.

This had been done in the absence of the medical college management coming up with any concrete revival plan for the institute facing a financial crisis. The government at that time also announced the shifting of around 1,5o0 students of the Medical College to other medical institutions operating across the state.

Later, in June 2017, the MCI had permitted the shift of medical students to other medical institutes in Punjab. However, with the medical college management being not paid the salaries of its employees, protests had already intensified in April 2017. Their salaries had been pending since October 2016.

Read Also: 1500 students including 500 MBBS students of Gian Sagar Medical College to be shifted

Over a year later in July 2018, Department of Medical Education and Research (DMER), Punjab, had granted provisional essentiality certificate to the Gian Sagar Medical College for filling 100 MBBS seats, and the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), a provisional consent of affiliation to the medical institute.

However, a protest call of the faculty members dimmed the joy of reopening, with medical teachers staging a protest against the medical institute management, demanding salary clearance.

Read Also: Gian Sagar Medical College reopens, faculty protests for pending salaries

Now, again the issue of nonpayment of stipends has hit the medical college. According to a recent report by TOI, nine of the PG students, who were shifted from Gian Sagar Medical College to another medical institute, have approached the education tribunal alleging that the institute has not paid them their stipends of the academic session 2016-2017.

The petition has been filed under the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service of Employees) Act, 1974.

For the academic session of 2016-17, the institute had accorded to pay Rs 45,990 per month as stipends to these PG students, who had already paid their fees for the said year. After the shutdown of the institute, these PG medicos were to a medical institute in Faridkot.

Briefing the tribunal about the history of the medical college being shut and some of the medical students moving to the HC, the counsel for the petitioner medicos stated, "The petitioners were primarily aggrieved by the action of the institute whereby the stipend of Rs 45,990 per month, which was being paid to them as they were undergoing PG medical course, was stopped by the institute without having any justified reason."

The claim of the petitioners is that since they were doing PG course at the institute, they were entitled to receive stipends as per the MCI regulations. As per the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000, issued by the MCI regarding stipends payable to PG students, "The students undergoing PG course shall be paid stipend on par with the PG students of the state government medical institutions."

Read also: With approval gone, Gian Sagar prepares for student shift