Medical Council of India suspends Six Doctors for working in more than one medical college

Mumbai: Six medical faculty members in the state are now facing suspension orders from the Medical Council of India (MCI), after it was revealed that they were  working as full-time faculty in more than one medical college at the same time. The apex medical body has ordered suspension for the six senior faculty for a period ranging from six months to one year, directing the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to take the necessary action.

"We found out that several of these doctors were teaching in one government and one private medical college. MCI found their names during manual inspection and issued orders," said interim administrator of MMC, Dr Abhay Chawdhary informed Indian Express.

It was revealed that two faculty members were associated with two institutions located in different states, raising severe questions on how they could manage to take full-time, 9-4 job at the medical colleges located so far from each other. These two doctors have been identified to be Dr Pradnya Kulkarni, assistant professor at anatomy, who was registered in Prakash Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Sangli and KD Medical College and Research Centre in Uttar Pradesh, some 1,600 km away and Dr Bhagat Haridas, who was shown attached with JIJU's Indian Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Jalna and Raipur Institute of Medical Sciences in Chhattisgarh.

Other faculty members facing a 6- month suspension include Dr Yashodeep Sonawane, whose name was visible at Bhausaheb Hire Government Medical College, Dhule, and Karad-based Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences  and Dr Pankaj Nemade, assistant professor of general surgery,  who worked in Maharashtra Institute of Education and Research Talegaon Dhabade, Pune, and Mahatma Gandhi Medical College Mission and Hospital in Navi Mumbai, which is over three hours driving distance from the Pune college reports Indian Express.

Further, two doctors are now facing suspension for a period of a year. These include Dr Tushar Patil, assistant professor in department of anatomy, whose name appeared in Dr Ulhas Patil Medical College and Hospital, Jalgaon, as well as SMBT Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre in Nashik, and Dr Alka Sontakke, who was found a full-time teacher in Maharashtra Institute of Education and Research Talegaon Dhabade, Pune, and Mahatma Gandhi Medical College Mission and Hospital in Navi Mumbai.

MCI has written to the MMC to undertake the necessary further investigations and action in this regard.

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