Pharmacy colleges call for clarity from PCI on new 2-year course on 'B Pharmacy Practice' to upgrade D Pharm holders

Even as the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) is looking to unveil the new two-year course ‘B Pharmacy Practice’ to upgrade the minimum qualification of diploma holders from D Pharm to B Pharm course, pharmacy colleges are of the view that there is need for more clarity on this.

B Pharmacy Practice is designed to be conducted only during weekends because this course is for the existing D Pharm holders who could be already employed. The training would cover theory and practicals which would include projects work and seminar presentations. Now PCI intends to introduce this only to raise the pharmacy qualification of diploma holders to degree in order to match the standards prevailing practice in the developed world. This is the first time in the country that such an offering is coming into education landscape, Prof. S Mohan, Dean, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and director, PES College of Pharmacy told Pharmabiz.

This particular initiative of the PCI needs approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC). Representing PES College of Pharmacy, Prof. Mohan has now requested the Registrar of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences to obtain concurrence from the UGC on whether a degree can be awarded for a two-year course which is conducted only during weekends.

“If PCI wants to elevate the status of diploma in Pharmacy to a degree course with the introduction of B Pharmacy Practice, then it should discontinue D Pharm. Since, B Pharmacy Practice is targeting only the D Pharm holders, where is the need to continue D Pharm in the colleges,” queried Prof. Mohan.

In case PCI is keen to retain D Pharm, then it would need to revert to the earlier eligibility of 10th standard pass from the current entitled qualification of entry which is pre university. Such a move would attract scores of economically backward students who could get an early start to earn by being employed at pharmacy outlets in Tier 3 and 4 towns and villages. More importantly, medicines will be available in the far flung rural areas. It will also complement government’s move of mandatory rural posting for the MBBS doctors, pointed out Prof. Mohan.

Introduction of e-visa at the Trichy International Airport set to woo foreign tourists

TRICHY: With e-visa to be introduced at the Trichy International Airport by the end of this month, tourism is all set to get a boost with the arrival of foreign tourists.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has set up four dedicated counters for foreign tourists to avail their visa on arrival. According to aviation officials, the facility will be launched in seven other airports across the country where arrival of overseas passengers has gone up over the years.

After the central government provided the facility to nine airports a month ago, another set of seven airports were also selected based on the arrival of overseas passengers. Besides Trichy, the e-visa facility will come up in Gaya, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Jaipur and Lucknow.

Senior officials from the immigration and emigration department have been visiting the Trichy airport for inspecting the infrastructural arrangements.

"Four counters with all the high-end facilities for the tourist to obtain e-visa without any hiccups are being set up. Web cameras, scanners, computers and bio-metric devices to record the fingerprints are also being installed," said a top official belonging to the immigration department.

The official said the system will be rolled out by the end of this month. It will be rolled out simultaneously in all the seven airports across the country.

Trichy airport receives flights from Singapore, Malayasia, Sri Lanka and Dubai and the number of passengers has been growing every year.

Madras HC stays transfer of 8 postgraduate medical students

CHENNAI: The transfer of eight postgraduate medical students from one government facility at Egmore to another in Triplicane in the middle of an academic year has been stayed by the Madras high court, which said the shift was bound to create serious hardship for the students.

Justice M Sathyanarayanan, granting interim injunction restraining the health department from giving effect to its August 2014 order transferring the eight students, said if the transfer is permitted they would have to start their theses afresh, which may hamper the submission of thesis, which is one of the essential requirements for completing the course.

According to the counsel representing the students, all the eight were doing PG courses at Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Egmore and they had been asked to move to Institute of Social Obstetrics and Kasthurba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children at Chepauk in Triplicane.

Assailing the transfer, the medicos said they were being training under a particular set of teaching staff, and had identified patients for study population. A transfer at this time might lead to extreme difficulty in submitting the thesis.

Justice Sathyanarayanan concurred with their submissions and said the students had already identified patients for case study and they are also guided by faculties attached to the Egmore hospital. If they are asked to move to another hospital midway it would hamper their thesis, he said.

He then granted interim injunction, and adjourned the matter to August 26 for further proceedings.

Stick to PhD Norms, UGC Orders Univs

COIMBATORE:The University Grants Commission (UGC) has warned universities that any PhD or MPhil degree awarded by them under the supervision of a guide who is not a faculty member of either the university or its affiliated PG college or institution would be viewed very seriously.

Calling it a violation of prescribed norms, UGC secretary Jaspal S Sandhu in a letter on Monday, to Vice Chancellors of universities across the country, said, “It has come to the notice of the UGC that some universities are hiring the services of supervisors who do not happen to be regular teachers of the universities or its affiliated PG college or institutions, while awarding the MPhil or PhD degree. This practice is in violation of UGC(Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of MPhil / PhD Degree) Regulation, 2009.”

Universities shall allocate the supervisor from amongst the regular faculty members depending on the number of students per faculty member, the available specialization among the faculty supervisors and the research interest of the student, he clarified.

Welcoming the decision of the apex body, former general secretary of AUT

C Pichandy called on varsities to desist from such practice and stick to the UGC regulation both in letter and spirit.

University's delay in awarding Degrees costs it dearly: NHRC asks it to award Degrees as well as monetary compensation

In a landmark case of denial of Degrees to 32 students of B.Sc. (Nursing) even four years after passing the course, much beyond the stipulated period by the Universities Grants Commission, the National Human Rights Commission ensured that they received the same without any further delay from the Registrar of Dr. Hari Singh Gaur Central University, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh.

As per para 4.4 of the UGC (Grant for Degree and other Awards by Universities) Regulation, 2008, "The Degree award date/s shall be within 180 days of the date/s by which the students are expected to qualify and become eligible for them."

The Registrar of the University gave Degree Certificates to the nine students in the Commission today, who had lodged the complaint in the matter. He also produced the proof of dispatch of Degree Certificates to the 23 other successful students, who had applied for the same in the prescribed format to the University.

These students had completed their course in 2011 from the Christian Medical and Training Centre, School and College of Nursing, Damoh, affiliated with Dr. Hari Singh Gaur Central University. The Provisional Degree Certificate issued by the University was valid only for six months.

However, despite making several requests to the University, these students neither got Degrees nor any convincing response to that effect for which they approached the Commission seeking its intervention for relief saying that they suffered mental agony, monetary loss and carrier loss because of the inaction on the part of the authorities.

The Commission registered a case No. 150/12/12/2015 in the matter on the 21st January, 2015 and issued notices to the concerned authorities calling for reports in the matter.

During the course of enquiry, the Commission did not find the arguments given by the University authorities behind the delay in disbursement of Degrees as convincing. It observed that the delay in giving the Degrees resulted in denial of their Fundamental Rights under Article 19 (1)(g) of the Constitution, which guarantees the Right to practice a profession or to carry on any occupation and also their Fundamental Right to Life (which includes the Right to Livelihood) guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution.

The Fundamental Rights under these Articles are recognized basic human rights and, therefore, the conduct of the respondent University amounted to violation of the human rights of the complainants.

According to a NHRC's release, it recommended that Dr. Hari Singh Gaur University pay rupees one lakh each to the nine complainants, who approached the Commission for relief for the unjustifiable denial of their Degrees.

The Commission has asked Dr. Hari Singh Gaur University, through its Registrar, to pay the relief to the students within six weeks and submit compliance report along with proof of payment thereof.

திருமணமான பெண், கருணை அடிப்படையில் அரசு வேலைபெற சட்டப்படி உரிமை உள்ளது: சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவு

சட்டத்தின் முன் ஆணும், பெண் ணும் சமம் என்பதால், திருமண மான பெண்ணுக்கும் கருணை அடிப்படையில் வேலை தர வேண்டும் என்று சென்னை உயர் நீதிமன்றம் அதிரடி உத்தரவு பிறப் பித்துள்ளது.

இதுதொடர்பாக தர்மபுரி மாவட்டம் நொச்சிக்குப்பை கிராமத் தைச் சேர்ந்த கோவிந்தம்மாள் உயர்நீதிமன்றத்தில் தாக்கல் செய்த மனுவிவரம்:-

எனது தந்தை அரசு மலைவாழ் உறைவிடவாழ் பள்ளியில் சமையல்காரராகவும், காவல் காரராகவும் பணியாற்றினார். கடந்த 2003-ல் அவர் இறந்துவிட் டார். அதனால், கருணை அடிப் படையில் எனக்கு வேலை வழங்க வேண்டும் என்று மாவட்ட ஆட்சியர் மற்றும் ஆதிதிராவிடர் நலத்துறை அதிகாரிக்கு மனு கொடுத்தேன். எனக்கு திருமணமாகிவிட்டதால் மனுவைப் பரிசீலிக்க முடியாது என்று கூறிவிட்டனர். இதையடுத்து 2006 மற்றும் 2007-ம் ஆண்டுகளில் மீண்டும் அதிகாரிகளிடம் முறையிட்டேன். எந்தப் பலனும் இல்லை. எனவே, கருணை அடிப் படையில் எனக்கு அரசு வேலை வழங்க உத்தரவிட வேண்டும் என்று மனுவில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

உயர்நீதிமன்ற நீதிபதி டி.ஹரிபரந்தாமன் முன்பு இவ் வழக்கு விசாரணைக்கு வந்த போது, அரசு வழக்கறிஞர் ஜெயப் பிரகாஷ் நாராயணன் ஆஜராகி வாதிடுகையில், “கடந்த 2010 ஆகஸ்டு 30-ம் தேதி தொழிலாளர் நலத்துறை வெளியிட்ட அர சாணையின்படி, திருமணமான பெண்களுக்கு கருணை அடிப் படையில் வேலை வழங்கலாம். ஆனால், வேலைக்காக அவர் விண்ணப்பிக்கும்போது திருமணம் ஆகியிருக்கக்கூடாது. மனுதா ரரைப் பொருத்தவரை அவருக்கு திருமணம் ஆகும்போது அவரது தந்தை உயிருடன் இருந்தார். எனவே, கருணை அடிப்படையில் அவர் வேலை கோர உரிமை இல்லை என்று தெரிவித்தார்.

இதையடுத்து நீதிபதி டி.ஹரிபரந்தாமன் பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவு:-

ஆண்களைப் பொருத்தவரை திருமணம் ஆனாலும், ஆகாவிட்டாலும் கருணை அடிப்படையில் வேலையைப் பெற உரிமை உள்ளது. பெண்களுக்கு மட்டும் கட்டுப்பாடு விதிப்பது பாரபட்சமானது. அரசியலமைப்புச் சட்டம் அனைவருக்கும் சம அந் தஸ்து, சம வாய்ப்பு வழங்கப்பட வேண்டும் என்று கூறுகிறது. இந்த வழக்கில், திருமணத்தைக் காரணம் காட்டி பாகுபாடு காட்டுவதை ஏற்க முடியாது.

பெற்றோர் மற்றும் மூத்த குடிமக்கள் பராமரிப்புச் சட்டத்தில், பெற்றோர் மற்றும் மூத்த குடிமக்க ளைப் பாதுகாக்க வேண்டியது அவர்களது மகன் அல்லது மகளின் கடமை என்று சொல்லப் பட்டுள்ளது. பாதுகாப்பு விஷயத் தில் பாகுபாடு காட்டப்படவில்லை. கருணை அடிப்படையில் வேலை என்று வரும்போது, பாகுபாடு காட்டப்படுகிறது.

மனுதாரரின் அப்பாவுக்கு ஆண் வாரிசு இல்லை. மனுதாரர் மட்டுமே (ஒரே பெண்) உள்ளார். இப்போதெல்லாம் பெரும்பாலான குடும்பங்களில் ஆண் அல்லது பெண் என்று ஒரேயொரு குழந்தைதான் இருக்கிறது. ஒரு அரசு ஊழியருக்கு பெண் குழந்தை மட்டும் இருந்தால், அவர் மரணத்துக்குப் பிறகு அம்மாவைப் பாதுகாக்க வேண்டிய பொறுப்பு மகளுக்குத்தானே வருகிறது. இந்த மாதிரியான சூழலில் மகளுக்கு கருணை அடிப்படையில் வேலை தர முடியாது என்பது ஏற்புடையதல்ல.

எனவே, மனுதாரருக்கு கருணை அடிப்படையில் 8 வாரங்களுக்குள் வேலை வழங்க வேண்டும். மனுதாரர் மனுவை நிராகரித்து ஆதிதிராவிடர் நலத்துறை அதிகாரி பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவு ரத்து செய்யப்படுகிறது. பெண்களுக்கு கருணை அடிப்படையில் வேலை வழங்குவது தொடர்பாக தொழிலாளர் நலத்துறை 2010-ம் ஆண்டு ஆகஸ்டு 30-ம் தேதி பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவில், அரசு தலைமைச் செயலாளர் தகுந்த மாற்றம் செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று நீதிபதி ஹரிபரந்தாமன் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளார்.

MCI, health ministry look away as doctors associations violate ethics code

NEW DELHI: With the Medical Council of India (MCI) claiming it has no jurisdiction over doctors' associations and the health ministry not intervening to point out that the council was wrong, doctors' associations are back to violating the code of ethics with impunity.

Recently, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) was in the news for endorsing a commercial product and the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) was in the news for taking money from a manufacturer of health drinks for children to hold a meeting on child nutrition. Both the organisations have been in trouble over the very same issues earlier. IMA claimed it is not endorsing and IAP claimed there was no conflict of interest in taking money from GSK. Now IMA endorsement is also appearing with Dettol soap ads in print saying "certified by IMA". In both cases MCI has remained quiet.

President of the Punjab Medical Council, Dr G S Grewal wrote to the MCI president and sought action on IMA violating the code of ethics by taking money from Kent Water Purifiers for 'endorsement'. But the MCI is yet to take any action.

In August 2010, after the controversy about the IMA endorsing various commercial products, then secretary general of IMA, Dr Dharam Prakash, said the IMA had decided that it would not do any more endorsements. However, that was when MCI had issued notices to IMA office bearers and had threatened to take action against them. Later, MCI claimed it could take no action as it had no jurisdiction over associations. And now, IMA is back to taking money from commercial entities for what they claim are public health campaigns.

In the case of IAP, when the ministry brought the matter of IAP taking funding from vaccine manufacturers in 2012 to the notice of the MCI, the council wrote to the ministry that in its February 2014 executive committee meeting it considered the matter and had decided that it had jurisdiction only over individual doctors and not associations and so "the regulations maybe accordingly amended". The health ministry neither contested the MCI's position nor pointed out that it had not notified the said amendment as suggested by the council.

The MCI has claimed that it amended section 6.8 of the ethics code which refers to "code of conduct for doctors and professional association of doctors in their relationship with pharmaceutical and allied health sector industry" and that it has taken out the word "professional associations". However, the health ministry never notified this amendment in the official gazette. It did not do so in 2010 when MCI first tried amending the code. And the ministry again did not do it in 2014 when the MCI tried yet again to take out the words "professional associations" through an amendment. It becomes law only when published in the gazette. So, the code of ethics published in the gazette in December 2009 remains the law and it clearly refers to professional associations.

MCI appears to be very well aware of the law since even in the code of ethics available on its website the words "professional association" have not been deleted. Yet, in every case to do with doctors' associations put up before MCI, it has ruled against taking any action claiming that the code of ethics was not applicable to a group or association of doctors.

"All it takes to form an association is for seven doctors to get together and register it as a society. Is it not ridiculous that what is not allowed under the ethics code for an individual doctor can be allowed if seven of them get together and form an association?" asked a senior physician.

"MCI regulates with the approval of the government of India. The MCI can recommend, but the government has to approve. Any decision of the MCI has to go to the government to be implemented. No proposed amendment has any value in law unless it is published in the gazette and notified. So, all cases involving doctors' associations where MCI claimed it could not take action on the basis of the amendment which never became law, can be reviewed. The government can do it," explained Dr MC Gupta, a medico legal expert and a doctor who has specialised in laws related to the medical profession.

Incidentally, the ministry has not explained why it decided not to notify the amendment and thus oppose the council's repeated efforts to take the professionals associations out of its jurisdiction. There was no response to TOI's questions to the ministry on the subject.