Testing times: Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences

A team of Medical Council of India made a surprise visit to Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) on Friday.

Sources said the MCI team’s visit assumes significance, as it would decide the fate of the MBBS course of the college.

On the basis of their inspection, the MCI team would decide whether or not to renew the permission for taking admission into its 100-seat MBBS course.

Sources said earlier MCI had denied permission to IGIMS twice regarding the renewal of permission for taking admission in MBBS course. In 2013, MCI denied permission owing to lack of auditorium and hostel facilities for students and a paucity of junior residents’ crunch, while this year, during the team’s visit in March, it found deficiencies, including non-operational labour room among other infrastructure problems.

The MCI team, in its report, had raised objections as to why the labour room was not in use at the premier institution. Sources said in the executive committee meeting of MCI held in June, it was decided that the council would not renew permission. Later, officials changed their stand after the visit of Deepak Kumar, the then principal secretary and other officials of the health department, who explained to MCI members as to what steps had been initiated by his department to meet the deficiencies.

Dr N.R. Biswas, the IGIMS director, hoped that this visit of MCI would bring positive results. “We have tried to rectify all the deficiencies pointed out by the MCI. One of the major deficiencies pointed out was that our labour room was not functional. Our labour room has been functioning since the past few months. MCI had also raised objection on the lack of space in the college library. We have also solved this problem. From our side, we have done our job but we would get to know MCI’s report only after one month after they send it,” said Biswas.

IGIMS sources said the claims made by Biswas were true. “Earlier, the labour room was not in use at all but now a few operations are being conducted in it. So the MCI would definitely give us permission this time,” he said.

Sources said the MCI team is also scheduled to visit other medical colleges of the state in the next few months, including Patna Medical College and Hospital, Nalanada Medical College, and Hospital and Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital.

Sources said unlike IGIMS, the preparation of other colleges do not seem to be very good. The major deficiency at these colleges is faculty crunch.

Darbhanga Medical College principal R.K. Sinha, admitted that his college was facing 20-22 per cent faculty shortage. He said the MCI team should not judge the college only on the basis of faculty crunch. “At least, we are in better position than other medical colleges, where faculty crunch is something between 30 and 40 per cent,” said Sinha.

Dr Sunil Kumar Singh, vice-president, state chapter of Indian Medical Association, said: “MCI should only consider the gross deficiencies while denying permission to any college for taking admission in its MBBS course. As far as Bihar medical colleges are concerned, the MCI team should rather be sympathetic given the socio-economic factor of the state. Many students studying in the state-run-medical colleges hail from poor background. If state-run colleges are denied permission to take admission, meritorious students from poor backgrounds would find it tough to go for medical education.”