Latest news with #NationalMedicalCouncil
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
'Irregularities in stipends for PG med students of private colleges'
Representative image MUMBAI: A nationwide online survey by the National Medical Council showed irregularities in the payment of stipends to postgraduate (PG) medical students in self-financed and private medical colleges. A total of 2,110 postgraduate students said that they were not receiving any stipend at all from their institutions. Additionally, 4,288 students stated that the stipends being paid to them were not on par with those provided in govt medical colleges in their respective states, indicating significant discrepancies. Moreover, 1,228 students who did receive stipends claimed that the amount was being "taken back" by the college management, raising serious concerns about unethical practices. The survey garnered a total of 10,178 responses, of which 7,901 responses from PG students of private medical colleges were deemed valid and included for analysis. The data, collected from 213 colleges spread across 19 states and 2 union territories, painted a concerning picture. "Despite NMC's 2023 notification on PG stipends, private and deemed medical colleges in Maharashtra continue to violate the norms," said Brijesh Sutaria, a parent representative. "With SC's ruling yesterday mandating transparency, uniformity, and fairness in NEET PG counselling, it is time for concrete action from NMC and Maharashtra authorities. These are critical regulation issues, urgent and impactful. " Hemali Chhapia
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
24 medical colleges in Tamil Nadu have replied to NMC's showcause notice, says state health minister
Salem: Health minister Ma Subramanian on Thursday said 24 out of 34 medical colleges had sent their explanations to the showcause notices issued by the National Medical Council on deficiencies in faculty and services, labs and surgeries. "Only 10 colleges need to submit their explanations, which will be send soon," the minister said while speaking to reporters in the city. On shortage of doctors, the minister said 2,462 doctors have been appointed and steps will be taken to fill vacancies. During the recent NEET exam , women candidates were asked to remove their mangalsutra (thaali) before entering the centre, he said. "There was also an incident where a husband removed his wife's mangalsutra to help her write the exam, which is why we are insisting on the NEET exemption," the minister replied. Earlier, Subramanian and tourism minister R Rajendran took part in the opening of a two-day national health mission seminar in Yercaud. Subramanian launched three key initiatives at the event- a rehabilitation centre for mentally challenged individuals, an IVF centre for economically disadvantaged families at SGMKMCH, and a mobile application for haemophilia patients, which will assist around 1,000 individuals. After the launch, Subramanian said PET SCAN facilities are now available in government hospitals in Salem, Coimbatore, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli, and Kanchipuram, with plans to expand to five more hospitals this fiscal year. Furthermore, MRI SCAN facilities are being introduced in 17 government hospitals across the state, he said. MPs T M Selvaganapathy and T Malaiarasan, health secretary P Senthil Kumar, Salem district collector Dr R Brinda Devi, National Health Mission director Dr A Arun Thamburaj, and medical professionals from several government hospitals participated in the event.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Showcause notices to 34 med colleges over faculty shortage, data deficiencies
Chennai: National Medical Council has issued showcause notices to 34 of Tamil Nadu's 36 govt medical colleges, excluding Madras Medical College and Govt Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital, asking them to explain deficiencies in faculty and services, labs and of staff in up to 95% of the departments, including general medicine, general surgery, orthopaedics, and dermatology, due to existing vacancies, was among the most common deficiencies quoted in the instance, 19 of 20 departments in Govt Chengalpet Medical College were found deficient in faculty/resident/tutor as per AEBAS record data in departments from anatomy to radiodiagnosis. At Govt Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital, 8 of 20 departments reported inadequacy in faculty members. While both these colleges had inadequate data in pathology reports, the first didn't conduct any "emergency surgery" as per data uploaded on NMC May 7 showcause notices, from undergraduate medical education board director Sukh Lal Meena, seek written clarification within a week from each of the deans . "In case the opportunity provided is not availed, it will be presumed the college doesn't have any clarification to furnish, and no further opportunity will be given, and a decision as deemed fit shall be taken by the UGMEB. " Provision of Maintenance of Standard of Medical Education Regulation, 2023 chapter III-clause 8 allows the board to impose a penalty of up to 1 crore on medical institutions, it per the regulation notified on Sept 19, 2023, institutions must submit annual disclosure reports in the prescribed mode. On Nov 1, 2024, and April 25, all colleges permitted to admit MBBS students were directed to fill in details/data on the NMC portal for annual declaration, including total faculty, inpatient and outpatient details, and number of surgeries. The showcause notices were sent based on reports from experts of medical education Dr J Sangumani said vacancies in assistant professor, associate professor, and professor posts are being filled through counselling. "Most will join in a couple of days. We are hoping to send a letter to NMC stating we have filled all vacancies."Doctors' bodies said it will be impossible to fill vacancies which arose in the last three years due to a lack of timely counselling and promotions. In 2024, TN govt doctors association said there were at least 30% vacancies in doctors' positions across govt hospitals. On Monday, Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association said counselling for 2023 batch was just over. "We still have counselling for two more years. Vacancies will exist until counselling is over. Also, govt has failed to increase staff strength as per the requirement of NMC," said state organising secretary Dr A Ramalingam.
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Medical college at St George Hospital stalled over heritage rules, space constraints
Mumbai: When the state government announced in 2021 that a new medical college would be established at St George Hospital near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), it envisaged significant improvements in access to medical training and healthcare for south Mumbai residents. But four years on, the project remains stalled owing to height restrictions on buildings in the area and the lack of space for expansion within the hospital premises. As per National Medical Council (NMC) guidelines, a postgraduate medical college must be attached to a hospital with at least 650 beds and it must have 15,000 square metres of floor space, whereas St George Hospital has 500 beds. The shortfall can only be bridged via vertical expansion, where multiple one- and two-storey standalone buildings in the premises will be replaced by a 10 or 12-storey structure, Dr Vinayak Sawardekar, superintendent of St George Hospital, told Hindustan Times. 'But because of the hospital's proximity to CSMT, such construction is prohibited,' he said. Additionally, the hospital is located on a plot classified as a reserve garden (RG) in the development plan. This has further complicated matters and posed a question mark over the fate of the proposed medical college. South Mumbai's need The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) currently operates four medical colleges in the city — KEM in Parel, Nair in Mumbai Central, Sion Hospital in Sion, and Cooper Hospital in Juhu — whose combined intake capacity is 850 MBBS students. The state government-run JJ Hospital in Byculla, the only major teaching hospital located in south Mumbai, caters to another 250 MBBS students. Establishing a medical college at St George Hospital would reduce the burden on these institutions and significantly improve access to medical training and care for residents of south Mumbai, said doctors and hospital officials. 'The hospital currently operates with 500 beds, and the upgrade would have enabled the addition of key specialty departments like hepatology, nephrology and plastic surgery,' an official from St George Hospital told HT. After the state government mooted the proposal to start a medical college at St George Hospital, under the auspices of Grant Medical College, the Asian Development Bank evinced interest in funding the project. But things did not move ahead due to lack of regulatory clearances. Obstacles for expansion St George Hospital is located barely five metres from CSMT, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the public works department has restricted the height of buildings in the area to 25 metres, equivalent to only seven storeys. 'We can only permit construction up to 25 meters. A building with 10-12 floors is not feasible under existing heritage norms,' an official from the public works department told HT. Moreover, the hospital is located on a plot classified as a reserve garden (RG). As per regulations, any construction on land reserved for a garden must be balanced by preserving an equivalent green area within the same premises, and trees aged 90 years or more must be replanted within the same premises. But the hospital has no space to meet either of these requirements. 'Once we build vertically, we won't even have space to replant the trees,' said Dr Sawardekar. Hope floats Doctors at St George expressed frustration with the stalling of the proposal to start a medical college yet remained hopeful. 'If BMC's heritage department shows some flexibility, we can still move forward. This facility is urgently needed – not just for education, but for improved patient care in south Mumbai,' said a doctor at the hospital, requesting anonymity. Doctors at the hospital cited the example of the nearby Gokuldas Tejpal (GT) Hospital, which has seen a sharp rise in patient admissions since it was converted into a medical college in 2024. Following the launch of a dedicated emergency ward at GT Hospital in July 2024, daily emergency cases have surged from 300–400 to 600–700 and no patients are turned away, thanks to improved infrastructure and staffing. 'The surge clearly shows the urgent need for more specialised hospitals in south Mumbai,' a senior official at JJ Hospital told HT. 'Without adequate facilities nearby, critical patients are referred to distant hospitals—delaying treatment and risking lives.' Healthcare experts said a balanced approach was necessary to preserve the city's heritage while meeting urgent public health needs. 'We must find a way to protect our history while also building for our future,' said a senior official.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Telangana leads larger states in med seat ratio
Hyderabad: Telangana leads larger states in the ratio of medical seats, with 238 seats per 10 lakh people, despite ranking fifth nationally in total seats. This milestone was detailed in the provisional list of medical seats recently released by the National Medical Council (NMC). While Karnataka has the highest total number of seats (12,545), its ratio stands at only 184 seats per 10 lakh population. This disparity gained significance after the NMC's 2022 proposal to limit undergraduate medical seats to 100 per 10 lakh population to address regional healthcare disparities. However, this regulation has been postponed until 2025 due to political resistance, notably from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Telangana hosts 65 medical colleges — 36 govt-run and 29 private — with eight new govt colleges approved last year. However, medical professionals have voiced concerns about the aggressive expansion of colleges, citing inadequate infrastructure and faculty recruitment. Dr Ranga Reddy Burri, chairman of Public Health & Community Services, IMA Telangana, highlighted an uneven doctor distribution favoring urban areas, despite Telangana nearly meeting the WHO-recommended ratio of 1:1000. "This uneven growth is already impacting the career prospects of existing doctors. Unless there is a clear plan to strengthen primary healthcare by effectively integrating these young doctors into the system, this expansion risks becoming a serious setback for both the state and the health of its people," he said. Telangana Teaching Govt Doctors Association (TTGDA) general secretary, Dr Kiran Madala, pointed out faculty shortages, especially at the assistant professor level. "There is a dire need to recruit more faculty. Multiple openings remain vacant. The focus should be on strengthening human resources rather than building so many colleges," he stated. Even premier colleges like Osmania Medical College and Gandhi Medical College suffer from infrastructure and faculty deficits.
