Denied SC nod, medical colleges get Ramadoss OK

Health Ministry permitted two private medical colleges to take in more students even though a SC order, the very same day, had denied permission.

Anbumani Ramadoss’s Health Ministry last week permitted two private medical colleges to take in more students even though a Supreme Court order, the very same day, had denied permission to both colleges saying their facilities were “inadequate”.

The Ministry on September 26 allowed Index Medical College (Indore) and Rohilkhand Medical College (Bareilly) to enroll students for academic year 2008-09 on grounds that a Central team from Safdarjung Hospital had found both institutions to house “adequate facilities”.

The Ministry’s approval was dispatched to both colleges the same day the Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam directed the government to deny admissions for 2008-09 in the colleges based on the inspection report submitted by the government lawyer.

“Gopal Subramanium, learned Additional Solicitor General, appearing for Union of India, stated that the inspection was also conducted but the percentage of the teaching staff in various departments and other facilities were inadequate and the petitioner-institution cannot be given permission,” says the court order of September 26.

The ASG’s statement was based on the inspection report filed by the Medical Council of India which was first asked by the Ministry on September 24 to submit a report whether the two colleges could be allowed to enroll fewer students given that they had admitted to deficiencies in their facilities.

In its report, the MCI said that Index Medical College Hospital had nearly 30 percent shortage in teaching faculty and nearly 60 percent shortfall in clinical facility even for a reduced intake of 100 students. As for Rohilkhand Medical College and Hospital, the shortage in teaching faculty was 21.35 percent for a lower intake of 50 students.

“I am directed to state that with the increasing or consistent trend observed over a period of nearly 4 months of gross deficiencies as shown above, the minimum required infrastructural, teaching and other facilities are not fulfilled even for 50 admissions,” said the letter from MCI secretary Lt Col (retd) Dr A R N Setalvad to the Ministry.

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However, the Ministry permitted Index Medical College to admit 150 MBBS students and Rohilkhand Medical College to admit 100 MBBS students as an inspection by the Central team — a day after the MCI inspection report — showed that adequate facilities were available for the renewal of permission.

It’s significant that the Central team from Safdarjung Hospital, which falls under the Health Ministry, was directed to inspect the two colleges on the same day that the MCI submitted its report denying permission.

As per an October 2003 order of the Supreme Court of India, the MCI is the only authority to recommend increase of student strength or renewal of permission for a medical college. That order had directed the Central government “not to grant any further permission without following the procedure prescribed under the Indian Medical Council Act.”