Madras High Court slams 'ill-equipped Medical institutions'

Coming down heavily on ill-equipped medical colleges in the country, which "often produced half-baked" professionals, Madras High Court has observed if universities continued to charge hefty sum to make failed candidates pass the MBBS course, a time would come when patients would verify the degree certificates of medical professionals before taking treatment.

Dismissing a petition by a medical college, Justice K K Sasidharan said imparting education was earlier considered as pious and charitable but now it became a lucrative business enabling the entrepreneurs to make easy money.

"Ill-equipped medical institutions often produced half-baked medical professionals," the judge observed, adding, the medical seats were being auctioned for crores of rupees. He observed that the interest of public at large was at threat due to the award of medical degrees to candidates who have studied in ill-equipped institutions, which has not been subject of serious discussion so far by those who were at the helm of affairs.

The judge also said universities established by the Central and state governments had no control over many of the medical colleges, since they have been considered deemed university status. He made these observations, while dismissing a petition filed by Sri Sathyasai Medical College and Research Institute at Kancheepuram, which challenged the proceedings of the Ethics Committee of Medical Council of India (MCI).

The CBI had conducted a surprise verification in the college on July 26, 2010 and registered a case against the petitioner and the Vice-Chancellor. Petitioner M K Rajagopalan, who was also Vice-Chancellor, had filed applications before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Egmore, which allowed discharge applications after hearing the CBI.

The MCI had on June 7 this year informed the petitioner of a CBI report which alleged manipulation of records and wanted the petitioner to appear before its Ethics Committee on June 29. Notices were also issued to 26 faculty members.

The petitioner submitted that he was already been discharged by the criminal court and there was no basis to continue the proceedings by the Ethics Committee.

But the Ethics Committee summoned Dr Ajeet M Gopachade, to produce his certificates and appear before it on August 23, and following this the petitioner challenged MCI's show cause notice on June 7 and subsequent notice.

On whether it was open to Ethics Committee to proceed, against the petitioner and faculty members on account of the discharge of accused by criminal court, the judge said mere discharge by the criminal court would not operate as a bar to continue the proceedings before the Ethics Committee.

It was only after notices were issued to faculty members, the petitioner had rushed to this court on the ground of parallel proceedings. The judge also said the petition was misconceived and lacked merit and observed that the Supreme Court had made it clear that the report submitted by a premier agency like CBI would be sufficient to take action by MCI and there was no merit in the petitioner's contention.

PTI