CPS Admissions Row: Medical council Starts Inspection of CPS Affiliated Institutes in Maharashtra

Mumbai:Amid the uncertainty over the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) courses in the State, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has started inspecting CPS-affiliated institutes in Maharashtra, which had refused inspection last year.

While around 74 institutes refused inspection last year, several of them have now allowed the MMC inspection. So far, the council has conducted inspections at around 34-45 hospitals running the CPS Diploma courses.

MMC has initiated the inspection process at a time when the Education Department of Maharashtra has been considering the possibility of stopping the CPS courses altogether.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that in an attempt to compensate for the loss of CPS seats, the State was also contemplating increasing around 1000 seats in Diplomate National Board (DNB) courses.

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 become allowed to register themselves as specialists in the concerned specialty.

The controversy regarding CPS admissions in Maharashtra commenced after referring to significant gaps in the standards of institutes offering College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) affiliated courses, the medical education department of Maharashtra recently wrote to the Union Health Ministry asking for its opinion on whether counselling can be conducted for around 1,100 CPS seats.

Taking cognisance of the letter by Maharashtra Medical Education Department, the Central Government had earlier set up an eight-member committee to look into the matter.

Meanwhile, recently the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) recommended to the Union Health Ministry for withdrawing 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.

This recommendation has been given by the NMC Board after discussing the issue meeting held on 12.04.2023. NMC PG Board expressed its disagreement with the Ministry for providing equivalence to the CPS courses and pointed out that such courses do not come under the purview of NMC.

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. This decision was revealed by the NBE officials during a meeting on May 25.

Also Read: Is the end of CPS courses near? NBE refuses to takeover CPS courses, States contemplating Withdrawal

As per the latest media report by Hindustan Times, last year MMC visited 120 hospitals offering CPS diploma courses for inspection. Out of the 120 hospitals, around 74 institutes refused inspection and two were found to be non-operational. MCPS-Affiliatedeanwhile, MMC inspection team found severe infrastructural and faculty deficiencies and violations of NMC minimum standard requirement in the rest of the 44 hospitals.

In contrast, when MMC started inspecting the CPS institutes this year once again, many of the institutes have come forward and allowed the same. Speaking about this, a senior MMC official told HT, “Out of the 74 institutions, who had refused inspection last year, many came forward allowing the MMC inspection. Our team started the inspection last week and so far inspected 34-45 hospitals that were running CPS-affiliated diplomas in child health and diploma obstetrics and gynaecology courses." Reportedly, the inspection will be completed by this week and after this, a report will be submitted.

While commenting on the matter, the president of CPS, Dr. Girish Maindarkar informed the Daily that the MMC inspections commenced three to four days back. He further mentioned, “Earlier in June, the institutions had on their individual level, written to the medical education department that they are ready for the inspections by the MMC. The institutions informed us that the inspection has begun. We will look forward to the report now.”

Earlier, the State Medical Education Department sent a show-cause notice to the CPS management demanding an explanation regarding the deficiencies found in its affiliated institutes by March 21. Meanwhile, CPS approached Bombay HC and filed a plea in this regard seeking to restart the admission process. The HC bench declined to interfere with the show-cause notice issued to CPS by Maharashtra State Medical Education Department as the bench clarified that the College of Physicians and Surgeons need to show that the courses are working as planned.

The Daily adds that after issuing numerous show-cause notices, the State Medical Education Department has completed the hearings in the CPS case and the judgment regarding this will be given in the coming week.

Also Read: NMC tells Health Ministry to derecognise 3 popular CPS Diploma courses, details