NMC discontinues CPS Mumbai courses, warns hospitals, students
New Delhi: Soon after recommending the Union Health Ministry to ban the PG medical courses run by the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS), Mumbai in the State of Maharashtra as well as other States/UTs, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has officially discontinued all the CPS Mumbai courses across the country.
The confirmation to this effect has been announced through a recent NMC notification issued under the authority of Prof. Dr B. Srinivas, NMC Secretary, who addressed the Directors/ Principals/ Deans & HoDs at all Medical Colleges/ Institutions under NMC, to strictly adhere to the public notice on the- 'Discontinuation of all the courses running under the umbrella of College of Physicians & Surgeons (CPS), Mumbai.'
The said notice signed (August 16th 2024) by Dr Aujender Singh, Director of the PGMEB (Post-graduate Medical Education Board) declared the discontinuation of CPS Mumbai courses running across the country. It referred to the show cause notice sent by the NMC to the institute for not complying with the NMC and erstwhile Medical Council of India MCI's norms.
The apex medical commission further pointed out that in reply the institute acknowledged itself as an exam body similar to the National Board of Examination of Medical Sciences- NBE with the authority to give medical qualification, which the NMC found misguiding, as the NBE is a government entity included in the NMC Act 2019 whereas the CPS is a non-government organisation having no authority to permit or recognise any medical course run by any hospital or conduct exams or even award a degree.
The Post Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) had served a Show Cause Notice (SCN) on the College of Physician and Surgeon (CPS), Mumbai for not following the regulatory provisions of the NMC/ erstwhile MCI. In its reply, CPS, Mumbai intimated that it considers itself as an examination like body National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) with authority to give medical qualification. The Board found this as a misguiding statement and observed that the NBEMS is a Government organization included in the Schedule of NMC Act 2019. Whereas the CPS is a nongovernment organization (examination body) and has no authority to permit or recognize any course of qualification run by any hospital or to conduct examination or award degree. As per Section 22 of the UGC Act, 1956, the right of conferring or granting degrees can be done by a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act or an institution deemed to be a University under Section 3 or an institution specially empowered by an Act of Parliament to confer or grant degrees. Thus, degrees can only be issued by a University or any statutory body empowered by an Act of Parliament.
Thus, the NMC announced the discontinuation of CPS Mumbai courses and warned the hospitals/ institutes as well as doctors that their additional qualifications would not be recognized for registration if any admission took place after the issuance of this public notice.
PGMEB, NMC has decided to discontinue all the courses running under the umbrella of CPS, Mumbai with immediate effect.
All the stakeholders including medical institutions/ hospital running the CPS courses and students who are in the process of taking admissions to the courses run by CPS may kindly take note of the decision of the PGMEB, NMC as their additional qualifications will not be recognized for registration if any admission take place after issuance of this public notice.
NMC recommends ban of CPS courses:
Writing to the Union Health Ministry on 05.07.2024, the NMC reiterated its stand regarding the PG medical courses run by the CPS Mumbai, and urged the Union Health Ministry to ban those courses. The Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) stated that "there should be no admission to the PG medical courses run by CPS, Mumbai in the State of Maharashtra as well as other States/UTs."
Defending its opinion, the Commission referred to the inspection conducted at the CPS institutes by the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), which had earlier concluded that admitting students to such institutes would be detrimental to the career of the students and would also affect the health system.
Referring to NMC as a regulatory body of the Government of India for quality medical education at an affordable cost, the letter pointed out that anyone, other than those included in the schedule of the NMC Act, 2019, has to get prior permission from NMC to start a course of recognised qualification and get it renewed at regular interval.
"Same was the case when MCI was regulatory authority. Data of medical institute running such courses are required to be available with NMC and have to be uploaded on the website. At present NMC is having no information about where about of such medical institutes/ hospitals. Without this, state medical council will not be able to register the qualification of such students. NMC in a meeting had recommended that medical institute running, such courses should get them registered at least under National board of examination for ensuring quality medical education at affordable cost," it mentioned in the letter.
The Commission further referred to the inspection conducted by the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) at the CPS institutes. NMC mentioned that on the directions of the Government of Maharashtra, MMC had inspected 120 institutes/hospitals where CPS courses were being run. MMC found that 2 hospitals were closed and 74 institutes refused inspection.
"Of the 44 institutes/hospitals inspected, severe deficiencies were found in most of the institutes/hospitals and it was concluded that admitting students to such institutes would be detrimental to the career of the students and also for the health system in general," NMC mentioned.
The Commission also pointed out that the PG Medical Education Board of NMC had issued a show cause notice to CPS Mumbai for not following the regulatory provision of NMC. In the notice, it was informed that the medical institutions/hospitals running the courses would have to get it renewed at regular intervals as per the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulation 2000 and Maintenance of Minimum Standard of Medical Education Regulation 2023.
NMC informed that so far neither CPS nor any institutes/hospitals offering CPS courses have ever applied for renewal of recognition of courses. "NMC has no information of the institutes/hospitals where the courses are running. CPS has informed that they are an examination body whose medical qualification are recognised like National Board of Examination (NBE). This is a misguiding statement. NBE is a Government organization included in the Schedule of NMC Act 2019. CPS is a non-government organization (examination body) and has no authority to permit or recognize any course or qualification run by any hospital," the letter issued by the Director of NMC PGMEB, Aujender Singh mentioned.
The CPS Controversy:
Established in 1912, CPS Mumbai is an autonomous body that imparts Postgraduate medical education and offers fellowship, diploma, and certificate courses for medical professionals. For the Diploma courses, the tenure is two years; in case of Fellowship, the tenure is three years. After obtaining the qualification granted by CPS Mumbai, the practitioners are allowed to register themselves as specialists in the concerned speciality.
CPS courses have been facing major controversies for a long time. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that referring to significant gaps in the standards or institutes offering CPS courses, the medical education department of Maharashtra previously wrote to the Union Health Ministry asking for its opinion on whether counselling can be conducted for around 1,100 CPS seats.
Writing to the Centre, the department referred to the inspection of the Maharashtra Medical Council conducted last year and how during the inspection, MMC had found "severe deficiencies" in several institutes. The Central Government has also set up an eight-member committee to look into the matter.
The controversy continued further and then the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) recommended to the Union Health Ministry to withdraw the popular DPB- Diploma in Pathology and Bacteriology, DCH - Diploma in Child Health and DGO- Diploma Gynecology and Obstetrics courses run by CPS from the next academic year.
After NMC, the National Board of Examinations (NBE) also offered rejection to the CPS courses by refusing to bring them under the aegis of the NBE. Moreover, States including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Karnataka were reportedly considering decreasing the intake for the CPS courses or discontinuing them.
Last year, the Maharashtra Government then de-recognised the courses offered by CPS and asked the medical institutes and hospitals not to admit students for any of the 26 diplomas or fellowships offered by CPS, Mumbai.
Ultimately the matter reached the Court and filing a plea, CPS argued that 10 courses which were recognised under NMC Act 2019 cannot be de-recognised by the State. Thereafter, in December 2023, the State filed an affidavit in the Bombay HC and stated that it would review its decision.
Then opposing the CPS's plea, which challenged the State Government's decision to de-recognise the CPS courses, former MMC member Dr. Suhas Pingle had approached the Bombay HC. However, this year, Maharashtra Medical Education Department issued a gazette notification on March 15 reintroducing the 10 CPS courses dermatology, midwifery and gynaecology, gynaecology, pathology, surgery, medicine, ophthalmology and diploma courses in gynaecology and obstetrics, pathology and bacteriology, and child health.
Earlier this year, challenging the three notifications that allowed the institute to continue its 19 medical courses, the former president of the Maharashtra branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and a former member of the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) approached the Bombay High Court.
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