Stanley, Omandurar among TN medical colleges to get NMC show-cause notice

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has sent show-cause notices to 34 government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu for failing to keep up the standards of medical education as reflected by various parameters.

The notices have been issued even to renowned institutes like the Stanley Medical College and the Omandurar Medical College in Chennai. The NMC has told all the colleges to submit written clarifications on the issues raised.

However, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian allayed concerns of Tamil Nadu college being found not up to the mark. The NMC has been sending notices every year to more than 400 medical colleges all over India including in BJP-ruled states, he said on the sidelines of an event in Chennai on May 15.

Issues of concern

The concerns raised by the NMC include a shortage of faculty, residents, and tutors, as per Aadhaar-enabled biometric attendance system data, and unsatisfactory infrastructure. The notices were sent individually to the colleges over the past 10 days.

Last year, the NMC had issued show-cause notices to at least 500 of the over 700 medical colleges across the country.

The colleges need to ensure faculty attendance of at least 75 per cent. If they fail to maintain the minimum attendance, the NMC can slap a fine of up to Rs 1 crore on them, reduce the number of seats, withhold accreditation or even stop admissions.

Alarming numbers

Experts say the NMC considers the clarifications offered and, based on that, decides on further action.

"While such notices are commonly issued by the NMC every year, the numbers are usually about 5-6. But 34 government medical colleges receiving the notice need to be looked into," an expert who did not want to be named told The Federal.

The NMC had issued show-cause notices to several government medical colleges, self-financing institutions and deemed universities across Tamil Nadu in 2024 as well, primarily due to irregularities in biometric attendance.

Colleges from Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai had reported low faculty attendance last year.

Attendance muddle

Tamil Nadu has 77 medical colleges, including 32 run by the government, offering 12,050 seats.

The state government has announced that every district will have at least one medical college; currently, 32 of the 39 districts have at least one government medical college each. Officials say the government is trying to establish medical colleges in six other districts soon.

"The attendance procedure needs to be regularised so that similar concerns are not brought up every year. Doctors (faculty members) need to ensure that they register their biometric attendance on an individual basis,” a former director of medical education told The Federal.

“Hospitals need to check this is being implemented. Moreover, new medical colleges have been set up in the state, but we need to ensure that human resource is on par with the growth," he added.

Official clarification

The NMC also pointed out a paucity of operation theatres and advanced equipment at the medical colleges.

"There are about 29 medical colleges that have written to the NMC giving clarifications. The issues are not very serious, and the suggested rectifications will be made. The seats were not impacted last year and we will ensure that doesn't happen this year too," a senior official from the Directorate of Medical Education told The Federal.

Transfer counselling for teaching staff was conducted recently, and all the vacancies filled, the official added. "There was a delay in transfer counselling due to a case in the Madras High Court. We have instructed the medical colleges to send the appropriate explanation."

Minister Subramanian said the government has filled 318 vacant positions through counselling. The remaining 87 posts were filled on Tuesday. Associate professor and professor-level vacancies are being filled through promotions.