From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: Students studying in the North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) are awaiting decision that’s not only crucial to their own future, but also to the entire healthcare system. That all important announcement from the Medical Council of India (MCI) is unlikely to come immediately.
“With a large number of faculty posts lying vacant and very poor infrastructure the Medical Council of India cannot grant recognition to MBBS degree imparted by the NEIGRIHMS,” MCI sources said here on Wednesday.
The MCI grants accreditation to a medical degree only after examining the related faculty position and the infrastructure, sources said.
As of now in case of NEIGRIHMS most posts of faculty are laying vacant.
As far as the infrastructure is concerned there is not even a separate building for imparting the MBBS classes. “The classes are being held in the building meant for post-graduation course,” it said.
The newly-appointed Director Prof AG Ahangar, however, recently said that the institute would initially push to get MCI recognition only for those departments which are fully equipped in terms of faculties and infrastructures. “But as of now most of the departments neither have faculty nor have infrastructure,” MCI sources said. Though the matter was taken up by several leaders from the state at the highest level but the students pursing this most sought after course will be left in the lurch if the MCI does not give recognition. The first batch of students will complete five-year course in first parts of 2013. The unfortunate students cannot take recourse of law even in the apex court since the Supreme Court in a recent judgment had ruled that the students who are already educated should have been aware of pros and cons of a course they are studying.
In the absence of the MCI recognition it will be difficult even to issue certificates to successful students. NEIGRIMHS offers four and half years MBBS course through NEHU as per Academic Calendar of Medical Council of India (MCI), followed by one year compulsory rotary internship.
