The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Medical Council of India adopting stepmotherly attitude'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 30, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Medical Council of India adopting stepmotherly attitude'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JUNE 29. The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors' Association has condemned the "stepmotherly attitude of the Medical Council of India" towards Government Medical Colleges during inspections.

"While the MCI has allowed admission of 100 students to Balaji Medical College and Meenakshi Mission Colleges, started within two years, it has derecognised the MS and MD courses in the well-established Government colleges like Coimbatore Medical College," the association president, K. Prakasam, said in a statement here.

The Chengalpattu Medical College, started 50 years ago, had permission to admit only 50 students.

Similarly, the Salem Medical College, even after 10 years, was allowed to admit only 75 students.

"It is well known that doctors were transported in lorries with a pay of Rs.1000 per day to private medical colleges for MCI inspection. The MCI has closed its eyes and was making a big issue in Government Medical Colleges," he alleged.

He said the MCI did not spare even the Madras Medical College: it had reduced PG intake in the college.

Dr. Prakasam, who is also a member of the Tamil Nadu Medical Council, wondered how the Union Government and the Medical Council conferred deemed university status on a few colleges to admit students, which did not have even half of the facilities of the Government Medical Colleges.

The TNGDA urged the Union Government to stop according deemed university status to any single medical institution and to cancel the status given to institutions.

The deemed university concept provided a back door entry to commercialise the medical profession, Dr. Prakasam alleged.

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