Karnataka: MCI to debar three medical colleges for fake patients

The colleges in question are: Shridevi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Hospital, Tumakuru; Sambhram Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, KGF, and the one at Devanahalli run by Akash Education and Development Trust.

Bengaluru: Patients with minor ailments, others with troubles that could be attended to as out patients and even those in the pink of health were seen lying on hospital beds of some private medical colleges of Karnataka, trying to get the Medical Council of India’s(MCI) approval for course continuations. Some of the inspected colleges were those who despite a deficient quotient had been allowed to start courses by the oversight committee with the promise of fulfilling the deficiencies when the Council visited with an inspection scanner, the next time around. To top it all, the visiting Council officials found the percentage of patients admitted in the hospital far lower than that mentioned in the records to the council, by the colleges.

The poor performance of the college hospitals in terms of patient intake( outpatients and inpatients ) had the executive committee of the MCI in its recommendation report at a meeting suggest - debarment for two academic years (2017-2018 and 2018-2019).

The Council took this decision, as it felt that the three were unable to fulfill the requirements mandated to run a college, which included patient intake. All these colleges were short of faculty as well.

The colleges in question are: Shridevi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Hospital, Tumakuru; Sambhram Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, KGF, and the one at Devanahalli run by Akash Education and Development Trust.

The apex education regulator also debarred a fourth college on the basis of shortage of faculty and inadequate infrastructure.

It is the MCI’s role to conduct periodic inspection of various medical colleges and suggest permission for continuation or debarment to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The above mentioned three colleges had been allowed to run a course for the year 2016-17 by the Supreme Court mandated Oversight Committee on the promise that they would meet up with the requirements in due time.

The Inspection Committee in the minutes of its Executive Committee meeting observed the following about the colleges inspected:

Sambhram Institute of Medical Sciences and Research had a mere 17% bed occupancy as against the exaggerated 62% figure, mentioned in the report submitted by the institution. The report also said and that all the patients did not merit admission, as they were suffering from minor ailments, that could be attended to from the outside.

While inspecting the Shridevi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research the regulating body found the patients admitted suffering from ailments like anaemia, gastritis, URI or gastroenteritis; patients in the orthopaedics ward suffered from Low back pain and knee discomfort, which the Council officials felt did not call for admission, The committee also during verification of attendance observed that faculty members signing the morning attendance rooster were different from those marking attendance, in the afternoon.

The worst was yet to come. At Devanahalli; the Council inspectors found a patient in 'the pink of health' on the hospital bed of the General Medicine Ward, for two weeks without any having gone through any diagnosis or treatment.

The officials also discovered a junior resident in the department of general surgery marking attendance as senior resident at another medical facility, reports TOI.

The Akash Education and Development Trust authorities remained unavailable for explanations. A Sambhram official however, said that they had yet to see the report and therefore, would like to abstain from commenting.