Gangtok, Aug. 25: The Union ministry of health and family welfare has directed the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences (SMIMS) under the Sikkim Manipal University (SMU) not to admit any fresh batch of MBBS students in the institute during the 2004-05 academic session.

P.G. Kaladharan, the under secretary at the Union health ministry, has in a letter issued earlier this week to the SMU vice-chancellor, L.C. Amarnathan, communicated the directives of the central government in this regard.

The government of India, taking into consideration the recommendations of the Medical Council of India, (MCI) and the fact that the institute had failed to provide all the requisite facilities as per the MCI norms had decided, not to renew the permission for admission of a fresh batch of MBBS students, the letter reads.

The ministry has specified that the compliance report on rectification of deficiencies pointed out in the inspection report of April 2004 by MCI was sent back to the council for verification. The MCI then carried out a compliance verification inspection of the institute on July 12, 2004.

The report, considered by the executive committee of the council in its July 16 meeting, had noted “deficiencies in teaching staff to a level of 32.5 per cent, non-availability of adequate clinical material, shortage of paramedical staff, shortage of nursing staff etc” and did not recommend renewal of permission for admission of the fourth batch of students.

This is the second time that the medical college has been denied permission to admit students to this year’s academic session. Earlier, the MCI, finding certain discrepancies and deficiencies in the college, had refused to recognise SMIMS as a medical college.

With the denial for admission to the new academic session, the fate of the previous three batches already enrolled in the medical college also hangs in balance.

The university has filed a writ petition in Sikkim High Court challenging the ministry’s decision.

Officials at the university refused to speak on the matter citing it was sub judice.