Cleaning Medical Education
Medical education in India is a hotbed of corruption. A few years back chairman of MCI was caught by anti-corruption agency and they found a few tons of gold and a few hundred crores in cash.
The easiest way to earn money is take bribes from each of 200+ private medical colleges and turn a blind eye to the deficiencies that they have as per very strict MCI norms. This itself means hundreds of crores of rupees. Most of the medical colleges have been operated by India's education mafia which in turn is controlled by political bigwigs.
When a few years back MCI came to inspect one such college, the team was shown one ward as pediatric ward in the morning and in the post-lunch session the same was shown as medical ward. MCI inspectors counted the beds and went away happy even though most of the beds were vacant and the ones occupied had people hired for a few hundred rupees and meals from the constituency of the founder of the college who was also a minister in state government.
One question to any of these patients about there faked illness and truth would have tumbled out. MCI did not even honestly check the indoor registers which would have shown daily 4-5 admissions and sudden spurt one day prior to inspection.
Many of these colleges show, doctors who reside hundreds of miles away from the college , on the payroll. These doctors of course come once a month and sign the muster, pocket the salary and go home.
If MCI were to check any of these medical colleges without a warning, hardly a few would pass the test for MCI recognition and would have to close down.
Many teachers are known to accept bribes and pass the candidates not only in MBBS exams but even in post-graduate exams.
With corruption at every level of medical education it is no wonder the standards are going down.
Most of the medical college hospitals have few patients. Students do not get adequate clinical experience. Even during post-graduate studies surgeons hardly get any hands-on experience.
Here are some humble suggestions -
1. MCI recognition must be a continuous process. Random checks without warning must be conducted to confirm the colleges and hospitals have adequate facilities and maintain standards.
2. Very strict action against corrupt examiners and students who are ready to offer bribes.
3. Each medical college must make use of it's past students who are practicing outside. They should be encouraged to teach in their spare time, they should be allowed to come back to their alma mater for acquiring new skills . Though full time employees are compulsory , it will only help if experienced private practitioners are allowed to contribute to medical education.
4. Admission procedure must be controlled and supervised by MCI.
5. MCI should lay more emphasis on number of patients that hospital treats than on number of beds, while recognizing medical college.
6. Those institutions who commit willful fraud like hiring persons to act as patients should be blacklisted and criminally prosecuted.
7. Medical teachers who visit medical college only once a month should be criminally prosecuted in addition to debarring from medical practice.
8. Medical curricula need extensive overhauling. Can any one believe that a medical student is never formally trained to give an injection? He has to learn it on his own when he has OPD posting during clinical training. But medical teachers don't teach such things in classrooms.
9. Medical colleges should be rated regularly for teaching standards, teaching facilities, standard of medical teachers, availability of clinical material, standards and systems of medical care and many more criteria.
10. Students should be given choice to join medical college commensurate with their merit.
11. Medical colleges which persistently score very low need to be warned and ultimately closed down.
Most of countries are very serious about standard of medical education in their countries. We have the correct laws in place, correct machinery in existence
but it has been rendered useless by corrupt people at the all the levels and very little will to change the system.
The government , I hope, will make a change. more
The easiest way to earn money is take bribes from each of 200+ private medical colleges and turn a blind eye to the deficiencies that they have as per very strict MCI norms. This itself means hundreds of crores of rupees. Most of the medical colleges have been operated by India's education mafia which in turn is controlled by political bigwigs.
When a few years back MCI came to inspect one such college, the team was shown one ward as pediatric ward in the morning and in the post-lunch session the same was shown as medical ward. MCI inspectors counted the beds and went away happy even though most of the beds were vacant and the ones occupied had people hired for a few hundred rupees and meals from the constituency of the founder of the college who was also a minister in state government.
One question to any of these patients about there faked illness and truth would have tumbled out. MCI did not even honestly check the indoor registers which would have shown daily 4-5 admissions and sudden spurt one day prior to inspection.
Many of these colleges show, doctors who reside hundreds of miles away from the college , on the payroll. These doctors of course come once a month and sign the muster, pocket the salary and go home.
If MCI were to check any of these medical colleges without a warning, hardly a few would pass the test for MCI recognition and would have to close down.
Many teachers are known to accept bribes and pass the candidates not only in MBBS exams but even in post-graduate exams.
With corruption at every level of medical education it is no wonder the standards are going down.
Most of the medical college hospitals have few patients. Students do not get adequate clinical experience. Even during post-graduate studies surgeons hardly get any hands-on experience.
Here are some humble suggestions -
1. MCI recognition must be a continuous process. Random checks without warning must be conducted to confirm the colleges and hospitals have adequate facilities and maintain standards.
2. Very strict action against corrupt examiners and students who are ready to offer bribes.
3. Each medical college must make use of it's past students who are practicing outside. They should be encouraged to teach in their spare time, they should be allowed to come back to their alma mater for acquiring new skills . Though full time employees are compulsory , it will only help if experienced private practitioners are allowed to contribute to medical education.
4. Admission procedure must be controlled and supervised by MCI.
5. MCI should lay more emphasis on number of patients that hospital treats than on number of beds, while recognizing medical college.
6. Those institutions who commit willful fraud like hiring persons to act as patients should be blacklisted and criminally prosecuted.
7. Medical teachers who visit medical college only once a month should be criminally prosecuted in addition to debarring from medical practice.
8. Medical curricula need extensive overhauling. Can any one believe that a medical student is never formally trained to give an injection? He has to learn it on his own when he has OPD posting during clinical training. But medical teachers don't teach such things in classrooms.
9. Medical colleges should be rated regularly for teaching standards, teaching facilities, standard of medical teachers, availability of clinical material, standards and systems of medical care and many more criteria.
10. Students should be given choice to join medical college commensurate with their merit.
11. Medical colleges which persistently score very low need to be warned and ultimately closed down.
Most of countries are very serious about standard of medical education in their countries. We have the correct laws in place, correct machinery in existence
but it has been rendered useless by corrupt people at the all the levels and very little will to change the system.
The government , I hope, will make a change. more
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The National Medical Commission(NMC) will replace the Medical Council of India(MCI) shortly and hope the corruption in Medical education will end. MCI had become den of corruption over a period of time which was detrimental to medical education as well as decay of health system. more
Dec 22
Now a days Corruption in all walk of life is common that is the main reason that against each post of even 4th class , No. of higher qualified persons are in line, means neither they are not really qualified nor they will perform their duties after getting selected, the same is in medical field also, this is reflecting towards our countries poor health care, inspite we are having thousands of institution but unable to generate hundred of skilled doctors every year, this affect Govt. Planning also because if they want to open more Institution likes AIMS,SGPGI,APPOLO etc. but unable to select good doctors,therefore the facilities for common man is yet far away. more
Dec 15
Really, Merit consists of a high degree of intelligence coupled with a keen and incisive mind, sound knowledge of the basic subjects and infinite capacity for hard work and also calls for a sense of social commitment and dedication to the cause of the poor WAS CONFINED BY S.C. in 1984 itself.
If this was considered in implementing article 19 Clause 6 for the Professional and Supervisory Jobs, many adverse issues including the Corruption in the whole Educational Sector COULD HAVE BEEN LONG RECTIFIED. more
If this was considered in implementing article 19 Clause 6 for the Professional and Supervisory Jobs, many adverse issues including the Corruption in the whole Educational Sector COULD HAVE BEEN LONG RECTIFIED. more
Dec 15
A team can be formed to analyse this problem. Spiritual knowledge can be given to the Medical team. more
Dec 12
It is very much true. Unfortunately all political parties encourage such mafia. Corruption has been institutionalised in India. Unless the Govt awards severe punishments, it cannot be burried. We see several people caught red handed by ACB , but take back their position if not promotion as well in no time and keep on repeating the same. That means they are not at all afraid again because of corrupt (ACB) officials, politicians backing them and the judiciary through immoral lawyers. more
Dec 12
It's true for medical and technical colleges. Students pay and get degrees or diplomas.
Best way for students who want to become doctors but are not able to get admission in medical college for what ever reason can learn Art of Self Healing at practically no cost. Practice treating people and earn money and blessings of people. www.artofselfhealing.in more
Best way for students who want to become doctors but are not able to get admission in medical college for what ever reason can learn Art of Self Healing at practically no cost. Practice treating people and earn money and blessings of people. www.artofselfhealing.in more
Dec 12
Exactly. IPC 161 TO 165, Citizen, Legislators' Responsibilities, Executive's Duty grossly ignored. more
Dec 12
Some undeserving and corrupt individuals have opened medical colleges. They amass wealth and harass doctors; treat them most disrespectfully at times, and cheat them in their payments. They flout every rule possible and keep the doctors underpaid. They create bogus data and gain several grants which go into their pockets. Yet by virtue of their so called services(as also bribes) political parties come forward and offer them seats in the Parliament. That is how some white collar criminals are now members of Parliament and even Ministers in the Central Government. What service can we expect from them when they themselves break all rules in their medical colleges, when they exploit the system and sell the UG and PG seats for crores of rupees? Our Nation has thus gone into the hands of rogues; we cannot expect anything good if we allow this system to continue. I have the following suggestions to make: 1. Government should convert every District Hospital into a medical college. 2. Government should offer free education to all medical students both undergraduate and postgraduate, irrespective of their social or caste status. 3. Private medical colleges should be asked to follow the same rules; if unable to, they should handover their establishments to the Government. 4. Government should promulgate a special Act (akin to the ESI) to cover the welfare of all healthcare providers (including the paramedical staff) and in return expect their services in an appropriate manner to cover the Nation's population. 5. Maximum support should be given to General Practitioners, who are the backbone of the Nation's Health, through lucrative schemes. 6. Government should thus focus on Primary Healthcare which is the need of the Nation and stop pampering corporate hospitals. 7. Service rules of the Government should be made applicable to all employees in the private medical colleges. Their payments and leaves should be transparent and should be scrutinized by an independent body. 8. MBBS students should have exposure to the basic benefits of indigenous alternative systems of medicine. more
Dec 12
Addressing Healthcare under article 47 in deed is ' Govt. should convert every District Hospital into a medical college.' more
Dec 12
