Can't reveal hospital assessment reports, says medical exams board
TNN | Jun 25, 2018, 04.44 AM IST
The National Board of Examinations, which regulates almost 7,000 post-graduate medical seats, mostly in private hospitals, has refused to share inspection reports of hospitals on the basis of which seats were granted. The information sought under the Right to Information was refused on the grounds that it was available with the NBE in a "fiduciary capacity" and could not be divulged without consent from the hospitals. The Medical Council of India (MCI), which regulates roughly 28,000 PG seats, in contrast puts all inspection reports on its website.
Since post graduate seats regulated by NBE are equivalent to those regulated by MCI and both bodies essentially perform the same function, it is not clear why NBE cannot also put this information in the public domain. In its response to RTI applications, the NBE stated that it had asked the hospitals if information pertaining to them could be given to a third party but the hospitals had refused.
Assessment reports, whether of Medical Council of India or NBE, give the patient load claimed by the hospital and that found by the assessor, list of faculty with their qualifications and details of infrastructure in the hospital. It is a student's right to know these details about the institution where she applies for a post-graduate seat, in this case a DNB (Diplomate of National Board) seat as the NBE post graduate degree is called.
Asked why they had refused to part with this information, NBE officials told TOI that its assessment reports also included employment contracts of hospitals with faculty members and income tax details of the faculty along with pan number, which are confidential and could not be shared.
Asked why such information alone could not be kept confidential while revealing the assessment reports, they claimed the relevant assessment documents, list of assessors and other details would be put up on the new website once it becomes operational by June end. Yet, the NBE refused this information to RTI applicants.
While NBE accreditation is granted for a period of five years to a hospital, it is reviewed annually. There have been several complaints of faculty members leaving, faculty without MCI recognised degrees being used by hospitals to train students, and of patient loads being far lower than what was claimed by the hospital - all of which affects students' training.
TNN | Jun 25, 2018, 04.44 AM IST
The National Board of Examinations, which regulates almost 7,000 post-graduate medical seats, mostly in private hospitals, has refused to share inspection reports of hospitals on the basis of which seats were granted. The information sought under the Right to Information was refused on the grounds that it was available with the NBE in a "fiduciary capacity" and could not be divulged without consent from the hospitals. The Medical Council of India (MCI), which regulates roughly 28,000 PG seats, in contrast puts all inspection reports on its website.
Since post graduate seats regulated by NBE are equivalent to those regulated by MCI and both bodies essentially perform the same function, it is not clear why NBE cannot also put this information in the public domain. In its response to RTI applications, the NBE stated that it had asked the hospitals if information pertaining to them could be given to a third party but the hospitals had refused.
Assessment reports, whether of Medical Council of India or NBE, give the patient load claimed by the hospital and that found by the assessor, list of faculty with their qualifications and details of infrastructure in the hospital. It is a student's right to know these details about the institution where she applies for a post-graduate seat, in this case a DNB (Diplomate of National Board) seat as the NBE post graduate degree is called.
Asked why they had refused to part with this information, NBE officials told TOI that its assessment reports also included employment contracts of hospitals with faculty members and income tax details of the faculty along with pan number, which are confidential and could not be shared.
Asked why such information alone could not be kept confidential while revealing the assessment reports, they claimed the relevant assessment documents, list of assessors and other details would be put up on the new website once it becomes operational by June end. Yet, the NBE refused this information to RTI applicants.
While NBE accreditation is granted for a period of five years to a hospital, it is reviewed annually. There have been several complaints of faculty members leaving, faculty without MCI recognised degrees being used by hospitals to train students, and of patient loads being far lower than what was claimed by the hospital - all of which affects students' training.
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