E-DRUG: Flip flop in medical education in India
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Hi,
Medical Council of India (MCI) is the apex, autonomous body regulating medical eductaion in India. It recognises the medical courses in medical colleges of India. Within a span of three days there have been two contrasting reports appearing in the media. While one speaks of derecognition of post graduate course at Grant Medical College Mumbai by MCI, because the teachers were not qualified, the other speaks of giving retrospect 34 years (yes 34 years!) MCI recognition to Post graduate courses at Indira Gandhi Govt Medical College, Nagpur. Same body and two absolutely divergent recommendations!
Dr Vijay Thawani
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Setback for med edu dept as MCI scraps course
Prafulla Marpakwar I TNN
(From the E- edition of Times of India, Dated 19 AUG 2008, P5).
Mumbai: There is no end to the troubles of the state medical education department. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has derecognised a course offered by the Grant Medical College (GMC) because of unrecognised qualifications of the teaching staff. The MCI directive has come at a juncture when the Centre has cleared a special grant of Rs 120 crore for the GMC's development.
"MCI has stopped admissions to the diploma in public health (DPH) course on the ground that the degrees of the entire teaching staff are not recognised by the council,'' a senior official told TOI on Monday.
Another setback for the medical education department was the MCI's refusal to increase the MBBS seats in the Indira Gandhi medical college, Nagpur, from 60 to 100. Last year, after chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and chief secretary Johny Joseph personally took it up with health minister Anbumani Ramadoss, the Centre had agreed to increase the seats from 60 to 100. Then Deshmukh had given in writing to the Centre that all the deficiencies pointed out by the MCI will be resolved in a time-bound period-- within one year. On the specific assurance of Deshmukh, the Centre had then granted temporary permission to increase the seats.
The Centre had asked the medical education department to submit a compliance report to it so that the MCI could conduct a fresh inspection and decide whether to grant permission for more seats. Shockingly, there was an inordinate delay on the part of the MED in submitting the compliance report. As a result, the MCI has now declined to oblige Deshmukh.
Again Deshmukh and medical education minister Dilip Walse-Patil have taken it up with Ramadoss. "I solicit your intervention and request you to restore the intake capacity of 100. Otherwise, 40 meritorious students will be deprived of admissions in a government medical college,'' Deshmukh said in a letter to Ramadoss.
The moot question is will Ramadoss oblige Deshmukh again? A former dean said it was high time that Deshmukh fixed responsibility in the medical education department. Prima facie, three persons--dean of the concerned medical college, director of medical education and research and secretary of the medical education department--are directly responsible for complying with the recommendations of the MCI. Since the secretary, Bhushan Gagrani, is new, Deshmukh should take the deans of the GMC and IGMC and DMER to task for their poor performance.
"It happens only with the government medical colleges. Had it been the case with a deemed university or a private medical college, the dean would have been sacked. Deshmukh will have to take stern action against the erring officials,'' the former dean added.
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MCI recognises IGGMCH PG courses after 34 years Aug. 22nd, 2008
by Vikas Vaidya
(From Cityline, The Hitavada, Nagpur, P1 and 2, 22 Aug 2008)
http://news.hitavadaonline.com/news/index.php?mode=print&n=22962
In a major respite for the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH) which is in the news for all the wrong reasons, much--needed recognition from Medical Council of India (MCI) to its 12 Post Graduate departments, has given them a reason to celebrate. The recognition has come after a grueling wait of three decades.
Out of 17 departments which are not recognised, MCI considered the applications of only 15. Out of these 15 departments, MCI said no to General Surgery department and refered back the matter for re-recognition of PG ENT and Diploma in ENT. IGGMCH was earlier working under Nagpur Municipal Corporation. Since 1964 these departments were functioning without recognition. Since then IGGMCH tried hard to get recognition. It was being said that except Paediatrics which is functioning well within norms no department will get recognition. But highly placed sources said that it was due to Dr Vedprakash Mishra, presently Member of Executive Committee and former Chairman, Post Graduate Committee of MCI who took efforts to secure recognition. The departments which got recognition include MS Ophthalmology, MD Anaesthesia, Diploma in Anaesthesia (DA), MD Obstetric and Gynecology, Diploma in Gynecology (DGO), MD Paediatrics, Diploma in Child Health (DCH), MD Anatomy, MD Physiology, MD Pharmacology, MD Social and Preventive Medicine (SPM), MD Radiotherapy. DA, MD Paediatrics, MD Anatomy, MD Physiology, MD Pharmacology and MD Radiotherapy all will have two seats each. MD Anaesthesia will have four seats, MD Obstetric and Gynecology and MD SPM will have three seats each. MD Ophthalmology, DGO, DCH can admit one student each. MCI has referred the item of MS ENT and DLO for Re-recognition. All the recommendations made by PG committee are required to be placed before General Body of MCI and only on approval therefrom the recommendations are sent to the Government of India for notification. Recommendations are binding for Government as they are only notifying agency. When contacted Dr Vedprakash Mishra, former Chairman PG Committee and presently Member, Executive Committee, MCI told The Hitavada, "The recognition will have retrospective effect which means that degrees awarded right from the first batch of students who had completed their post-graduate degree or diploma secured, stands recognised. This will put to rest all speculation about fate of all past-present and future PG students of the IGGMCH." Regarding MS General Surgery MCI cited the reasons which says the PG committee of MCI decided not to recognise it because Dr Bhupesh Tirpude, lecturer in Unit-I and Dr Ibrahim Kothwal, lecturer in Unit-II are not having recognised PG qualification. Teaching requirements in both the units are incomplete, the OPD in surgery department infrastructure in not upto the norms of MCI, minor OT and dressing room are not adequate, blood bank is not as per MCI norms. In view of these loopholes the committee decided to direct authorities to stop admissions from academic session 2009-10 for MS in General Surgery. Dr Anand Dongre, newly appointed Dean of IGGMCH expressed happiness over the development. He recalled that there were only three PG departments which are recognised. With the addition of these 12 departments IGGMCH will have golden days. We will strive hard to enhance the quality of the departments under my regime.
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