MCI fined Rs1 lakh for delay in taking decision

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, March 20

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the Medical Council of India (MCI) for inordinate delay in taking a decision regarding the shifting of 141 MBBS students of Chintpurni Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), Pathankot, to eight other medical colleges in the state.

Though the decision to shift the students was to impact the lives and careers of 141 medical students, the MCI failed to respond to the communication of the Punjab Government in the past six months.

The MCI cannot be permitted to take such matters so lightly, ruled the high court while imposing the fine.

After the state Medical Education Department had decided to shift the final year students from CMCH on August 31, 2015, the state government submitted a list of eight medical colleges to the MCI for its decision. But the MCI failed to respond despite the high court giving it six opportunities.

The state government had agreed to shift the students of the 2011 batch from CMCH as the college had failed to get approval to admit students in 2012, 2013 and 2015 due to various shortcomings.

Fearing that their MBBS degree might not be recognised by the MCI, the first batch of students who had joined the college in 2011 have been demanding that the state government should shift them to other medical colleges.

After some students filed a writ petition in the high court, the court had asked the Punjab Government to raise the matter with Centre and MCI to work out the possibility of shifting these students.

The Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) had also recommended to the state government to shift these students to other colleges after adopting the due procedure.

This shifting of the students is subject to the permission by the MCI, said Hussan Lal, secretary, medical education and research, Punjab.