As many as 38 medical colleges have lost recognition across the country, while another hundred or so have gotten notices from the country's top medical authority to fix flaws.
The colleges have been called out for concerns ranging from personnel failing to mark attendance on the biometric system to colleges failing to install the new camera, biometric, and health management system-based surveillance to institutions suffering from staff and doctor scarcity.
According to a National Medical Commission (NMC) spokesman, the statistics will continue to change as more hearings and appeals are heard over the next two months.
Counselling for the current MBBS batch is expected to begin in July; NEET was held in the first week of May.
"If a college is unable to correct the deficiencies, it will only affect their intake for the current year," the source explained. Students who are already enrolled will be unaffected."
The problem was brought to light after one of Chennai's oldest government medical institutions, Stanley Medical College, and a couple of others in the state lost its accreditation. "This is a continuing exercise." Every year, colleges are routinely examined to ensure that they are in compliance with standards," stated another NMC official.
According to the official, unless the institutions exhibit substantial problems, such as missing infrastructure or a severe shortage of teachers, they will most likely be acknowledged again for the current session.
According to the first official quoted, some colleges that were de-recognized or were sent notices had a biometric attendance system in place, but the staff had not begun marking attendance every day after Covid-19 (all institutions were advised against using biometric attendance systems during the pandemic).
With colleges under scrutiny ahead of MBBS course counselling, could thousands of seats be lost? No, not always. Colleges that have lost recognition will be allowed to appeal the judgement once with the National Medical Commission and twice with the Health Ministry after addressing the shortcomings. According to the National Medical Commission, if they act fast and before counselling begins, they will be able to accept students.
However, it also included more serious issues. "Some of the older medical colleges had a faculty and resident doctor shortage." "We can make some concessions for new colleges, but why should ones that have been around for a while?" a third NMC official asked.
Some violations were nonetheless flagrant. According to a top Punjab government official, Chintpurni Medical College, a private medical college that has lost registration in Punjab, was recognised by NMC without a previous physical examination by NMC. "A physical inspection was conducted at the request of the state government," the person explained. "Those who came to inspect discovered that no studies were being conducted (and) that there were no patients." Many students are enticed to participate in such institutes and are unable to acquire a proper education as a result."
Several colleges in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Assam, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, and West Bengal have either lost their accreditation or received notifications to address issues. Gauhati Medical College, Assam Medical College, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College, SCB Medical College, Stanley Medical College, Dharmapuri Medical College, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, KAP Viswanatham Medical College, and Chintpurni Medical College are among the colleges under investigation by the NMC.
