NMC Denies Continuation of Recognition to 3 Medical Colleges, Kerala likely to lose 450 MBBS Seats

Kochi: In a major setback to undergraduate medical education in Kerala, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) has denied "continuation of recognition for MBBS degree courses" granted by Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) to three medical colleges in the State.

Apart from this, the UG Board of the Apex medical education regulatory body has also reduced the number of medical seats to half in another medical college. As a result of this, the State may lose around 450 MBBS seats for the academic year 2023-2024.

The three medical colleges that have been denied recognition by the NMC include Jubilee Mission Medical College & Research Institute, Thrissur, Dr. Somervell Memorial CSI Hospital & Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram and Sree Gokulam Medical College & Research Foundation, Thiruvananthapuram. While in the case of the first medical college, 100 medical seats have been lost, 150 seats each have been lost at the other two medical colleges.

The UG Medical Education Board of the NMC took this decision after conducting a virtual and physical verification at the medical college. The NMC board has cited a shortage of teaching faculty or demonstrators, shortage of resident doctors, substandard conduct of examination, and poor patient load as the deficiencies resulting in the NMC decision. However, the colleges can appeal against the NMC decision.

Apart from these three colleges, Thiruvananthapuram-based Sree Uthradom Thirunal Academy of Medical Sciences (SUTAMS), which had appealed to NMC, has lost 50 of its 100 MBBS seats for this academic year.

However, "after taking necessary steps to improve its faculty position and patient load", the college has been granted permission to apply for restoring the MBBS seats to 100 for the next academic year i.e. the 2024-2025 batch.

Also Read: No NMC Recognition for 3 Medical Colleges, Tamil Nadu to lose 500 MBBS Seats

While commenting on the matter, the President of Kerala Private Medical College Management Association, Anilkumar Vallil told the Times of India that NMC conducted such exercises every year for the purpose of cleaning up the medical education sector. "But there is nothing to worry as the NMC would ultimately give permission after taking an undertaking as was done in the previous years," he mentioned.

The Daily adds that in case of Jubilee Mission, the board discovered that there is deficiency of associate professors in the biochemistry and community medicine department, inadequate number of assistant professors in anatomy, radiodiagnosis and respiratory medicine, deficiency of tutors, demonstrators or senior resident doctors in the department of anatomy, biochemistry, pediatrics, pharmacology, physiology, radiodiagnosis, emergency medicine and respiratory medicine.

Further, the apex medical commission board noted that there is no mention of junior resident doctors in the Aadhaar-enabled biometric attendance system (AEBAS), which is a must for the functioning of hospitals. 

In the case of Somervell Memorial CSI Hospital & Medical College, the Board opined that it "does not qualify for minimum requirements of faculty and resident doctors".

While inspecting Gokulam College, the Board found that only 14 out of 43 students who appeared in the annual main examination on May 9 and 10, 2022, were from the regular batch, and the conduct of the examination was "substandard". Further, the board found that the cameras in the hospital area were not functioning properly. 

Meanwhile, the board found out that there was 11% faculty deficiency as per AEBAS at SUTAMS. Apart from the deficiency of tutors or demonstrators in eight departments, the patient load of the medical college was also found to be "not satisfactory".

Commenting on the matter, an official in the medical education department mentioned, "It is an ongoing process and if other colleges don't get their act together, we may lose more seats. It's the students who appeared for NEET exam this year who will be affected."

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that in a major crackdown over non-compliance to its mandated standards for imparting medical courses, the apex medical regulatory body, NMC has so far de-recognised around 40 medical colleges in the last two months. According to officials, about 100 other medical institutes are presently under the scanner and are likely to face the NMC action soon.

“About 40 medical colleges have lost recognition over the last one to two months period for not meeting the standards set by the NMC… A further 100 medical colleges in Puducherry, Gujarat, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu are also likely to lose recognition for not complying with the NMC's standards,” they stated.

However, speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr. Rajeev Sood, a member of NMC, has assured that derecognition of the medical colleges is not a new thing and the colleges can appeal against the decision.

Also Read: Medical Colleges can ensure compliance before admissions deadline, move NMC against Derecognition: NMC Member