MCI denies renewal permission to ESIC Medical College Hospital, Chennai

Chennai: The ESIC Medical College, Chennai has been refused permission to admit students for the forthcoming academic session due to the twenty-five areas in which the Medical Council of India (MCI), has pointed out deficiencies. The foremost drawbacks pertain to faculty appointments, under qualified staff, shortage of essential facilities and unhygienic living conditions of students in the hostels of the college. It is the fifth batch that has been declined permission by the MCI this time.

It was in March last year that the ESIC decided to withdraw its participation from the field of medical education. The decision however, did not go down well with the student community, as the ESIC has 11 medical institutes running under it and its closure would mean thousands of careers going into a state of jeopardy. The KK Nagar institute witnessed protests by both staff and students against the corporation's decision of closure.

It took the state government's intervention to normalize the situation, by its taking over functional operations of the institute , through an understanding reached with the centre.

The Council amidst the chaos, denied the institute permission to admit students for the 2016-17 batch (4^th Batch). The rejection was later cancelled after the institute submitted a compliance report. The problem has emerged, yet again this year, with MCI refusing the approval to admit students in the 2017-18 batch, in the light of 15.97 percent deficiency in faculty and 27.94 percent shortage of resident doctors.

The committee report also speaks of the college's Medical Superintendent, Sowmya Sampath, having just eight years of administrative experience against the required ten, reports Indian Express.

In reply to these a senior Administrator of the ESIC said that they have corrected these shortcomings within the stipulated 30 days period, and have also sent a compliance report for the same to the Council. The college is now waiting for a fresh round of inspection, to be held in May.