There should be NO admission to PG medical courses run by CPS Mumbai: NMC tells Health Ministry
New Delhi: Reiterating its stand regarding the PG medical courses run by the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) Mumbai, the National Medical Commission (NMC) recently urged the Union Health Ministry to ban those courses. The Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) recently wrote to the Union Health Secretary in this regard and opined 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.
In the letter, the Apex Medical Commission also referred to the proposed CPS counselling by the Maharashtra Government for the academic year 2023 and pointed out that the last date for joining the PG courses for the academic year 2023 was November 30, 2023. NMC pointed out that conducting the admission after the last date of joining would violate the Supreme Court order in the case of Ashish Ranjan Vs. UoI and Ors.
Also Read: NMC tells Health Ministry to derecognise 3 popular CPS Diploma courses, details
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that last year NMC PG Board had recommended to the Union Health Ministry to de-recognise three popular CPS courses including DPB- Diploma in Pathology and Bacteriology, DCH - Diploma in Child Health and DGO- Diploma Gynecology and Obstetrics courses from the next academic year i.e. this year.
In December 2023, NMC issued clarification regarding a letter bearing the signature of the Under Secretary of NMC PG Board and claiming that CPS degrees were recognised for the students undergoing training. Clarifying the letter to be "fake", NMC had back then reiterated its stand regarding the recognition of the controversial CPS courses.
What NMC PGMEB Said in its Letter to the Union Health Ministry?
Writing to the Union Health Ministry on 05.07.2024, NMC expressed its opinion on the CPS courses. The Commission pointed out that medical education and practice are regulated by the Government to take care of public health. 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.
Opining that CPS courses should be banned, the letter further mentioned, "Considering the above facts and to safeguard the career of the students and also for the health system in general, NMC is of the view 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."
Further, referring to the counselling for CPS courses in Maharashtra for the academic year 2023, NMC highlighted that the last date of joining was 30.11.2023, "Further, it has come to the notice that the Govt. of Maharashtra is proposing counselling for the admission for the Academic Year 2023 in the hospitals/institutions running courses under the umbrella of CPS, Mumbai (copy enclosed). This is in violation of the Hon'ble Supreme court Order in the W.P. No.76/2015 in the case of Ashish Ranjan Vs. Uol and Ors. which stipulates that there can be no admission after the last date of joining. The last date of joining for the Academic Year 2023, was 30th November, 2023."
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. In fact, 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.
Also Read: Fact Check: NMC Letter Recognising CPS Courses for Doctors Undergoing Training is FAKE
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. At this outset, 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.
Thereafter, opposing the plea by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, 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.
Also Read: CPS courses Row: Bombay HC Asks Parties to Look for Acceptable Solution
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