NMC to impose penalties, reduce seats of med colleges that refuse to pay stipends

NMC to impose penalties, reduce seats of med colleges that refuse to pay stipends

There are plans to begin inspecting colleges regarding stipend non-payment and other related issues

 Ayushi.Gupta1@timesofindia.com 09.12.2024

The National Medical Commission (NMC) issued show-cause notices to 198 medical colleges— 115 government and 83 private—over the non-submission of stipend details for Undergraduate (UG) interns, Postgraduate (PG) residents, and senior residents in super specialities for the financial year 2023-24. Several medical interns and resident doctors have complained about not receiving any stipend money or half the amount promised. NMC is reviewing the details submitted by medical colleges and plans to impose penalties once confirmed that the stipends are being withheld

College inspections 

Following a Supreme Court order, the NMC directed all medical colleges and health institutions to submit details of stipends paid to medical interns and postgraduate resident doctors in 2023- 24. Dr B Srinivas, secretary, NMC, says, “The NMC aims to analyse stipend data submitted by colleges across the country. The purpose of collecting this data is to track the functioning of these institutions. The NMC plans to begin inspecting colleges regarding stipend non-payment and other related issues. If sufficient evidence of non-payment is found, the NMC will impose financial penalties on the offending colleges. For habitual offenders, further actions may include reducing the total number of seats allocated to the institution. A robust feedback mechanism is essential to make these inspections more effective.” 

Several residents and interns, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have shared their grievances with Education Times. A resident doctor completing his PG at Pacific Medical College and Hospital in Udaipur, Rajasthan, said, “The quoted stipend for all resident doctors is Rs 75,000, but none of the 390 residents have received the entire amount. We requested the administration to disburse the stipends to pay our hostel fees and other expenses, but no action has been taken. Additionally, all residents were asked to pay the full fee during the first year and sign an affidavit stating that our stipends had already been adjusted against the fees. We have been warned not to reveal this information, or we could be failed in our exams.” 

A female MBBS graduate from NRI Institute of Medical Sciences in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, added, “I graduated in 2024, and despite completing my internship, most of our batchmates including me have not received our stipends for the internship period. The college management has failed to disburse the stipend citing financial constraints. We request NMC to take immediate action.” Another MBBS intern at Dr Vasantrao Pawar Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre in Nashik, Maharashtra, said, “I have not received my stipend since September. Until then, I received only Rs 8,000 as against Rs 18,000. I am shocked to find that my college’s name was not included in the NMC’s list of 198 colleges receiving show-cause notices.” 

A PG resident doctor at Shridevi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Hospital in Tumkur, Karnataka, said, “I paid around Rs 2 lakh for hostel fees, which was made compulsory for all PG residents. I had to take a loan to pay both the hostel and college fees, which I planned to repay using my stipend but the college has not paid us any money. If I speak out, I fear my career will be sabotaged.” 

NMC has received multiple anonymous complaints regarding non-payment of stipends. Dr Srinivas says, “ The scope of investigations is often discreet and focused on gathering evidence without directly confronting individuals. Understandably, revealing names could jeopardise the careers of complainants. However, if multiple complaints are received from a particular college, the NMC will red-flag the institution and initiate a thorough investigation. However, support from students and faculty members is crucial for successful investigations.” 

Survey findings  In 2023, NMC conducted an online survey which revealed that 27% of PG students at private or self-financed medical colleges are not paid any stipend. Additionally, 54% of PG students receive less than the stipend amount paid to their counterparts in government-run medical colleges. The  survey found that among 7,901 PG students from 213 self-financed/private medical colleges across 19 states, about 16% reported being forced to return their stipend money to college management. Dr Srinivas says, “As the NMC transitions to more digital processes, it aims to simplify monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. An online system will make it easier to identify and address malpractices, ensuring greater accountability among medical colleges.”

NMC unveils norms to spot fake patients during college audits

NMC unveils norms to spot fake patients during college audits

DurgeshNandan.Jha@timesofindia.com  09.12.2024

New Delhi : Every year, on a specific day, some hospitals affiliated with medical colleges admit healthy individuals as patients. This trick is employed to deceive inspection teams that come to assess the facilities for granting approval to establish a new medical college or to increase the number of MBBS seats in an existing one. In many cases, the hospitals succeed in their deception. Recently, there have been multiple recorded instances of medical colleges hiring fake or nonserious patients to meet the minimum standards required for grant of a license to operate or to increase the number of MBBS seats. 

Recognising this problem, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has, for the first time, issued detailed guidelines on how to identify fake patients. The NMC guidelines state that if the assessor observes a large number of patients admitted on the day of assessment or the previous day, it could indicate fake admissions. Similarly, if the admitted patients have ailments that can be treated in the outpatient department (OPD) with oral medications, those should also be considered fake admissions.

Another criterion described by the NMC to identify fake or ghost patients is admission without any evidence of investigations, such as X-rays, blood tests, etc., either before or after admission. In pediatric wards, the NMC guidelines add that fake patients can be identified if assessors find that most of the admitted children are playful and cheerful without any significant medical issues. Recently, such an instance was recorded when a medical college in Maharashtra applied to increase its intake of MBBS students from 100 to 150. The assessors found that all the patients admitted to the pediatric ward were “hale and hearty”. 

The NMC guidelines also say that admission of multiple patients from the same family, or those admitted in large numbers through preventive health checkups/camps may also be identified as fake patients.

It has been observed for a long time that some medical institutions/colleges indulge in admitting fake patients (people who do not require any in-patient treatment) to fulfil the requirement of bed occupancy, investigation, etc. “If the assessor makes the abovementioned observations in their remarks, it will be considered as indulgence of the institution in ‘fake patient practice’ which will be considered as a serious violation,” said an NMC official.

National Medical Commission mandates strict scrutiny of ‘fake patients’ before sanctioning new medical colleges or enhancing seats

National Medical Commission mandates strict scrutiny of ‘fake patients’ before sanctioning new medical colleges or enhancing seats

It has been observed that some medical colleges show people who do not require any treatment as ‘patients’ fulfil the requirement of bed occupancy

Published - December 08, 2024 12:29 pm IST - Bengaluru

Jayanth R.

The NMC has released the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) guidelines for evaluation of medical college/institutions 2024. 

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has ordered strict scrutiny of “fake patients” shown by the managements during physical assessment/inspection before sanctioning of new medical colleges or allowing increase in the number of Under Graduate (UG) and Post Graduate (PG) medical seats.

NMC has invited applications for establishment of new medical colleges intending to offer undergraduate course and increase in the number of PG and UG seats for the academic year 2025-2026. It has released the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) guidelines for evaluation of medical college/institutions 2024

What the guidelines say

In the MARB guidelines, the NMC has stressed the need to curb the practice of showing “fake patients” in the medical colleges. For the purpose of training students, a certain minimum clinical exposure of patients has been defined in the Minimum Standards of Requirements (MSR) criteria of UG and PG Board in the form of bed occupancy requirements etc.

However, it has been observed that some medical institution/colleges show fake patients (persons who do not require any treatment at all or in-patient treatment) to fulfil the requirement of bed occupancy, investigation, etc. The guidelines say that if the assessor notices this and makes a remark, “it will be considered as indulgence of institution in ‘fake patient practice’ which will be considered as a serious violation and it will invite punishment as per MARB rules,” reads the guideline.

Therefore, NMC has instructed all the assessors that observation as to whether a large number of patients were admitted on the day of assessment or the previous day is a must.

Further, it said that it should be examined whether such recently or previously admitted patients have no minor or insignificant ailments/problems which can be treated on Outpatient (OPD) basis with oral medications.

Patients who are admitted without any evidence of investigations like X-ray, blood tests etc., (before or after admission) or treatment which is generally done for admitted patients like intravenous fluid, injections, catheterisation, giving medicines etc should be noted. It should be observed whether in paediatric ward, “most of the admitted children were playful and joyous without any significant problem.”

From the same family?

Further, it stated that the observation of assessor/s on whether multiple patients from the same family were admitted and whether patients were admitted in large numbers through preventive health check-ups/camps is also a must.

The NMC’s guidelines also stressed that the attendance of the faculty and other staff should be reviewed from time to time. “The required number of faculties as mentioned in MSR guidelines of respective boards (UG or PG) should be available throughout the year and for any given period of time. As it is a minimum requirement document, no relaxation will be permitted except in special circumstances in the larger interest by following due procedures,” it added.

Will abide by rules

Speaking to The Hindu, Dr. B.L. Sujatha Rathod, Director of the Directorate of Medical Education, said that NMC is the regulatory authority and the State is the implementing authority. “Whatever the regulations are, it will be examined and put into action,” she said.

Admission fraud inRajasthan: 9 MBBS grads lose case,face bar from practice

Admission fraud in Rajasthan: 9 MBBS grads lose case,face bar from practice

December 8 TIMES OF iNDIA 8.12.2024

Jaipur: Nine MBBS graduates who allegedly used proxy candidates during their RPMT 2009 entrance examination have lost their case in high court against the order by Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS) to cancel their MBBS admission. RUHS is now writing to the authorities to prevent them from practising medicine.

 The candidates' legal representatives had informed the high court that their clients had completed MBBS and some were pursuing specialisation while others were working as medical officers  in Rajasthan and Maharashtra. "They secured admission on the basis of cheating. They did not appear in the RPMT exam in 2009 and someone else appeared impersonating them. We will write to all the authorities concerned to prevent them from practising medicine," Dr Dhananjai Agarwal, vice-chacellor of RUHS, told TOI on Saturday. Initially, 16 such candidates were identied, and RUHS cancelled their admissions in 2017, but the candidates challenged the decision in high court. Four of them

The court ultimately ruled against them, with Justice Sameer Jain pronouncing his order on Dec 3 this week. "Courts can cancel the admission attained by means of fraud and unfair practices, even after a lapse of a decade, and no extra-ordinary circumstances prevail in order to invoke the jurisdiction of this court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India," the order said. "The instant batch of petitions being devoid of any merits stand dismissed. No orders as to cost. Pending applications, if any, shall stand disposed of," the order added. 

The issue came to light when news emerged about 16 candidates allegedly involved in examination malpractices, leading to an FIR being registered at Ashok Nagar police station in Jaipur. A committee headed by an IAS ocer investigated the matter.

NEWS TODAY 8.12.2024

 

No new nursing college in state during 2024-25 session: Govt to HC

No new nursing college in state during 2024-25 session: Govt to HC 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 08.12.2024 BHOPAL 

Bhopal/Jabalpur : The state govt informed a division bench of the MP High Court, which is hearing a petition seeking action against "fake" nursing colleges operating in large numbers in the state, that no new nursing colleges were allowed to open in the academic session 2024-25. Only the old colleges found eligible by the CBI were given recognition to operate. Meanwhile, the bench of Justice Sanjay Dwivedi and Justice AK Paliwal asked the state govt to present a report on the action taken against the registrar of the MP Nursing Council, Anita Chand, for irregularities committed by her before deferring the case for hearing to Dec 12. 

During the previous hearing of the case, the court ordered that all the eligible nursing and paramedical colleges in the state for the academic session 2024-25 would be affiliated with MP Medical University. The court also directed that the list and shortcomings found in the nursing colleges declared 'unfit' to operate by the CBI should be mentioned on the website of the MP Nursing Council. 

President of the Law Students' Union, Vishal Baghel, filed a PIL raising the issue of a large number of 'fake' nursing colleges operating in the state, particularly in the tribal areas, which do not have the requisite infrastructure or manpower to run the nursing courses. During the hearing of the petition, the high court ordered a probe by the CBI into the credentials of all the nursing colleges in the state and whether they have the requisite facilities to operate nursing courses. The CBI gave a clean chit to 169 nursing colleges, pointed out deficiencies in 74 but said they could be rectified, and found 65 nursing colleges unfit to operate. Later, the court constituted a threemember committee headed by a retired HC judge, Justice Rajendra Kumar Shrivastava, to examine whether the 74 nursing colleges, which the CBI found to have deficiencies 

In the meantime, some CBI officials involved in the probe were arrested by the CBI Delhi team on charges of demanding a bribe from proprietors of the nursing colleges to give their colleges a fitness certificate, thereby putting the probe and its outcome in question. .

ALLU ARJUN PLEDGES ₹25 LAKH TO KIN OF WOMAN KILLED IN STAMPEDE

ALLU ARJUN PLEDGES ₹25 LAKH TO KIN OF WOMAN KILLED IN STAMPEDE

GUTTED & HEARTBROKEN: 08.12.2024

 ‘I am personally donating ₹25 lakhs to the family’ Two days after the deadly stampede at the Pushpa 2: The Rule premiere that resulted in a woman’s death and her son’s serious injuries, Allu Arjun offered his condolences and pledged ₹25 lakh for the family. In a video shared on social media Friday night, Allu Arjun vowed to stand by the family of Revathi, the mother of two who lost her life in the stampede at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre on Wednesday. The actor also promised to bear the medical expenditure for the treatment of their 9- year-old son, Sritej who suffered serious injuries in the mishap. 

“We make films so that everyone enjoys them with their families. When tragic incidents like this happen, it feels like our energies have been sapped. The whole team is deeply upset to learn about the death of Revathi garu. No matter what we do, we won’t be able to undo the loss. As a goodwill gesture, I am personally donating ₹25 lakhs to the bereaved family to help them secure the future of her two kids. We are also taking care of the medical expenditure of the injured kid,” he said, speaking in Telugu. 

Allu Arjun booked 

Police have booked Allu Arjun, his team, Sandhya Theatre management post the fatal stampede. Based on the family’s complaint, a case has been registered under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt), and 3(5) BNS. What happened During a Pushpa 2 screening at Sandhya Theatre on Wednesday night, a stampede broke out as fans rushed to see Allu Arjun, who made a surprise appearance. In the chaos, Revathi, 39, was killed, and her 9-year-old son, Sritej, was injured and is currently undergoing treatment in hospital.