NMC Revokes Recognition of Three Medical Colleges in Assam

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NMC revokes recognition of three Assam Medical Colleges due to the violations of medical education standards established by the NMC. Find more details here.

New Delhi: Following the discovery of violations of medical education standards set by the National Medical Commission (NMC), three medical colleges in Assam, viz Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College (Barpeta Medical), have been revoked by the NMC council.

During the inspections conducted by the Commission, these medical colleges were found to be non-compliant with the prescribed norms, with various lapses identified in relation to CCTV cameras, Aadhaar-linked biometric attendance procedures, and faculty rolls.

The NMC has consistently emphasized the implementation of the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) in all medical colleges to ensure regular attendance tracking of personnel, as specified in the regulations, at their respective campuses.

As per the previous reports, the apex medical regulatory body, NMC, had undertaken a significant crackdown on non-compliance with the mandated standards for medical courses.

It was mentioned by officials that approximately 40 medical colleges have been de-recognized in the past two months due to their failure to meet the NMC's standards. Moreover, they added that around 100 other medical institutes are currently being investigated and are expected to face similar action from the NMC.

The reports reveal that It has been observed that around 40 medical colleges have had their recognition revoked within the past one to two months as they did not adhere to the standards prescribed by the NMC.

Approximately 100 medical colleges in Puducherry, Gujarat, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu are also likely to face loss of recognition due to non-compliance with the NMC's standards, the report said.

Back in December, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya issued a warning regarding potential action against medical colleges that fail to adhere to regulations or maintain an adequate faculty.

However, Dr. Abhijit Sharma, the superintendent of GMCH, has attributed the derecognition of the college to the officials of the NMC.

In an interview, Dr. Sharma expressed that the NMC team visited the medical college for inspection on January 23, 2023, which is a national holiday and the college was also on a winter break. During that time, at least 50 percent of their staff were on vacation.

Despite the cancellation of recognition by the NMC for medical colleges that have violated the compulsory standards for medical education, the colleges have the opportunity to appeal the decision before the appropriate authorities for reconsideration.

As a result, the authorities at GMCH have made the decision to take the required measures to address the deficiencies pointed out by the council and reapply in order to regain their recognition.

The medical colleges affected by this decision have a 30-day window to lodge an appeal, starting with the initial appeal to be submitted to the NMC. If the appeal is turned down, the institutions have the option to escalate the matter by approaching the Union Ministry of Health for further review and potential resolution.

Dr. Sharma explained the matter by stating that they had received notifications regarding certain matters, which were promptly attended to by the authorities. They rectified those deficiencies and submitted a report to the commission. They are currently awaiting a response from the commission.

Further, Dr. Sharma expressed the opinion that the term "suspended" would be inaccurate because there were some inconsistencies regarding the scheduling of the inspection dates. He also mentioned that the NMC team conducted the inspection during holidays, which, as per general instructions, is not allowed.

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