1st year MBBS students of Madurai Medical College take Charak Shapath, Dean suspended

Chennai: The dean of a state-run medical college was relieved of his post and put on the waiting list as 'Maharshi Charak Shapath' rather than the Hippocratic oath was administered to new students.

A departmental inquiry has been ordered, the government said on Sunday. 

Madurai Government Medical college has organized a welcome reception for the First-year students. It was reported that during the oath-taking ceremony, the students, dressed in their uniforms, replaced the centuries-old tradition of Greek origin, the Hippocratic both with 'Charak Shapath'.

The Hippocratic Oath is an ancient pledge of medical ethical conduct, taken by the medical students as an important step in becoming a doctor.

At the Madurai Government Medical College, instead of the Hippocratic Oath, the Maharshi Charak Shapath was administered on Saturday to the newly admitted students and this is 'strongly condemnable', an official release here said.

The Directorate of Medical Education of the state government has issued a notice to the Madurai Medical College and sought an explanation against the first-year students taking 'Maharshi Charak Shapath' instead of the Hippocratic oath.

Also Read:Andhra man forced to carry son's body on bike; 4 ambulance drivers booked, medical officer suspended

Hence, the Madurai college dean Dr. A Rathinavel was relieved of his post and is placed on the waiting list, the government said. 

"The Hippocratic Oath has been followed from time immemorial by all government medical colleges and hospitals for new entrants in Tamil Nadu and for students pursuing medical training after completing their medical education," the order read, reports HT.

State ministers PTR Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (finance) and P Moorthy (commercial taxes) were on the dais during the college's induction ceremony held on Saturday for students to don their white aprons for the first time. Both ministers had expressed shock over the change in protocol.

Also, a departmental inquiry has been ordered for violation of rule and unilaterally making students to take the Charaka oath. The action has been ordered by Health Minister Ma Subramanian.

The government said it would advise heads of all state-run medical colleges through a circular to always follow the Hippocratic oath without fail.

The National Medical Commission had recently recommended that the Maharshi Charak Shapath should replace the Hippocratic oath. According to new guidelines, "Modified Maharshi Charak Shapath is recommended when a candidate is introduced to medical education."

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said in Parliament that 'Maharshi Charak Shapath' would be optional and not forced on medical students.

Charaka Shapath or Charaka oath is a passage from the 'Charaka Samhita.' It is a guideline, like dos and don'ts, by a teacher to fresh medical students. The Samhita is a Sanskrit text on Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine. The Hippocratic Oath is an ethical code attributed to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates and it is widely used.

Also Read:Charak Shapath breakdown: Here is the Oath NMC recommends young medicos to take