NMC issues notice to over 100 medical colleges over patient load, staff shortages: Report
Ahmedabad: More than 100 medical colleges across the country have received notices from the National Medical Commission (NMC) for allegedly failing to meet mandatory norms related to patient load and staff strength. The Commission has directed the colleges to fix the deficiencies within 45 days.
As per Mirror sources, colleges that fail to address the shortcomings within the time could face strict action, including being barred from participating in the upcoming MBBS admission process.
Ahead of the medical admission season, the NMC has been inspecting colleges to verify whether they are maintaining the infrastructure, patient load and staffing levels that were promised while obtaining approval to run medical courses.
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At the same time, the Commission also received complaints that some medical colleges allegedly showed "ghost patients" and manipulated patient admission records to meet the norms during inspections, according to Mirror report.
As per NMC rules, a medical college with 150 MBBS seats must have an average daily Outpatient Department (OPD) attendance of at least 800 patients. The attached teaching hospital should also have at least 480 admitted patients to maintain the required bed occupancy. In addition, such a college is required to have a total of 204 doctors and staff members.
However, Ahmedabad Mirror sources said many medical colleges are not meeting these mandatory norms. Many institutions reportedly had fewer than 800 patients visiting their OPDs every day and did not have the required number of admitted patients.
The notices issued to the medical colleges direct them to remove all deficiencies within 45 days, failing which the Commission may take regulatory action that could affect their participation in the next round of medical admissions.
In Gujarat, government medical colleges in Junagadh and Jamnagar, along with more than two other colleges, have been served notices for these deficiencies, adds Mirror.
