Junior doctors at PMCH. Telegraph picture

Patna, May 27: Worried over the spurt in the dropout rate of students of postgraduate degree and diploma courses at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), the authorities are planning to impose fine on the medicos leaving midway.

Close to 40 per cent students of the postgraduate degree and diploma courses at PMCH drop out after getting admission to their preferred courses at other institutes, wasting dozens of seats at the state’s premier medical college. Sources said the students’ decision to opt out of PMCH exposes the holes in the state government’s admission policy and triggers posers on its failure to utilise the postgraduate seats, which are few in number compared to a large number of aspirants.

According to officials in the medical college, there are 241 seats in the postgraduate courses. Of them, 146 are of degree courses and the rest of diploma. Fifty per cent of these seats are filled through state quota. The other half is filled through central quota.

PMCH principal Dr N.P. Yadav told The Telegraph that the issue was serious and so the college administration was mulling to frame a proposal to solve it.

“There has been a trend of 40 per cent or even more students dropping out after taking admission to PMCH over the past several years. These students go to other colleges after getting admission to their preferred courses there. Hence, we are planning to impose a fine of up to Rs 1.5 lakh to discourage such practice. Students will have to sign a bond with us and if they leave the course midway, they will have to pay fine,” he said.

Yadav said a proposal in this regard would soon be sent to the state health department. “We understand that this policy has to be adopted for all medical colleges of the state as admissions are taken through a common entrance examination on state and all-India level,” he added.

Several postgraduate students believe only financial punishment will not be very effective in plugging the dropout trend. The state health department should adopt a policy completely barring the students from taking admission elsewhere once they take admission in a medical college in the state.

“According to the current rules, medicos have to refund the total stipend amount they get from the college and most of the students do so easily when they are interested in taking admission elsewhere for their preferred courses. Hence, the government should refuse to return the necessary certificates and switchover documents once the admission takes place. Only through this way the precious postgraduate seats can be saved from going waste,” a postgraduate student of PMCH said.

The student also said that out of 12 students who had taken admission to PG diploma in tuberculosis and chest medicine, a specialised MD course, seven left a few months after taking admission.

“Hundreds of MBBS students do not get seats as competition is very high and seats are few. I suggest the government to adopt a strict policy,” he added.