CM orders crackdown on medical and dental colleges

Thursday, 27/04/2017

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Chandigarh : Coming down heavily on private medical and dental colleges, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered a crackdown such institution engaged in the business of making money at the cost of the future of the students. The CM has warned the institutions to either perform or close the ‘shops’.

Chandigarh : Coming down heavily on private medical and dental colleges, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered a crackdown such institution engaged in the business of making money at the cost of the future of the students. The CM has warned the institutions to either perform or close the ‘shops’.

The CM issued the orders while presiding over a review meeting of the Departments of Medical Education and Research and Health and Family Welfare to discuss the problems faced by the medical institutions, including the controversy-ridden Gian Sagar and Chintpurni Medical Colleges.

Capt Amarinder warned that private medical and dental colleges found violating admission norms and not delivering quality education would be shut down, making it clear that his government would not allow such institutions to play with the future of students.

During the discussion, the Secretary Medical Education and Research informed the Chief Minister that the department had already clamped down on such private colleges, especially the nursing institutions found to be flouting the norms for admissions and not imparting quality education.

Amid complaints of lack of funds faced by most government medical colleges, the CM asked Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh to ensure that Central funds reserved for medical education are made available to these colleges for infrastructure up-gradation and other measures to enhance education quality.

He also asked the Chief Secretary to look into the medical education department’s complaint that it was not receiving state funding, and work out the modalities for fund allocation from the state exchequer as feasible.

He asked the Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Science (BFUHS) to prepare a blueprint in consultation with the Department of Medical Education and Research to improve the functioning of the medical colleges in order to provide the best medical and health care services to the people across the state. The CM said paucity of funds would not be allowed to hamper the functioning of these colleges.

He asked the department officials to explore upgradation of medical facilities in the state with eminent medical specialist Dr Naresh Trehan.

The problem of PIMS Jalandhar was also taken up at the meeting. The Chief Minister asked the authorities to identify alternatives, other than fee hike, to recover recurring costs. He suggested that the institution, with its world-class infrastructure, be handed over to some reputed medical group like Medanta, after following proper procedure, in order to optimally utilise its potential.

Captain Amarinder asked the department to look into the possibility of revising the salaries of super specialists working in the hospitals attached to the medical colleges, to bring them at par with doctors in private hospitals in order to attract the right talent. He also suggested roping in specialists to teach at medical colleges to enhance education quality.

BDS students observe day-long hunger strike

Chandigarh: Students of BDS College, a wing of the Gian Sagar College, Banur, on Wednesday held a day-long hunger strike in the college premises to press their demands. Over 100 BDS students on Wednesday assembled in the college premises in the morning.

The students have been demanding immediate reintroduction of teaching and practical work so that they could prepare for the ensuing exams.

Up in arms, the students had organised a dharna at the college premises on Tuesday and threatened the management to start teaching work or face the music.

Show-cause notice to be issued to Chintpurni

Chandigarh : Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has directed the state Health Minister to initiate steps for the issuance of a show-cause notice to the Chintpurni Medical College, where classes are not being conducted regularly for quite some time now, and which has been asked by the Medical Council of India (MCI) to stop admissions for two

sessions.

Expressing serious concern over the fate of the students of the crisis-hit Gian Sagar and Chintpurni medical colleges, Captain Amarinder has also ordered the Department of Medical Education and Research to take all possible steps to secure the future of the students of these colleges.

The instructions were issued during a review meeting here of the Departments of Medical Education and Research and Health and Family Welfare.

Taking note of the ongoing court case regarding the Gian Sagar Medical College, Banur, Captain Amarinder said since the case could take a long time to be resolved, it was necessary to find ways and means of compensating the students for the loss of time incurred in the process. He asked the department to find out ways and means to ensure that students do not lose a year and to work out possible solutions for compensating the loss.

Captain Amarinder asked the Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) to arrange to hold a special exam of the Gian Sagar students to secure their future. He made it clear that no one would be allowed to jeopardise the careers of these students.

Earlier, the department officials briefed the Chief Minister about the pathetic state of affairs in both these colleges, saying that inspections by the department had indicated violations of several MCI norms. The meeting was informed that BFUHS has already initiated proceedings for the de-affiliation of the Gian Sagar Medical College and the Department of Medical Education and Research for its de-recognition.

In the case of Chintpurni, the Chief Minister stressed the need to facilitate the completion of the studies of the students through special measures to enable them to appear for exams at a suitable time.