MCI adopts surprise visits ; Eyes set on tackling 'favouritism'
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 13 2015 :
Taking serious note of the growing practice of offering and taking bribe, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has decided to take up certain remedial measures including surprise inspection visits.
The MCI took up the new initiative following reports about non-compliance with established rules by existing medical colleges and new medical colleges which are in the process of establishment.
Sources informed that there are reports about bribing MCI teams with cash and kind as they went for physical inspection of medical colleges.
At one point of time medical practitioners were seen as very honest.
However, with the establishment of many medical colleges, both Government and private, MCI teams who went for inspection of these colleges were bribed and approvals have been given quite casually without proper inspection as demanded by MCI rules.
Such unethical practice has the potential to degrade the quality of health care service.
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Rather than focusing on saving lives, health care service is likely to be converted into a business enterprise if the unhealthy trend continues any longer, said sources.
Earlier, medical colleges knew in advance when MCI teams would be visiting their colleges for inspection but nowadays MCI has started visiting medical colleges unannounced.
As the authorities of the medical colleges knew in advance when MCI teams will visit their colleges, they could somehow put a good show for the day and thus the visiting MCI teams were easily duped into believing that the colleges had all the necessary infrastructure.
In case, they (medical colleges) could not arrange the 'needful', they would do anything to please the inspection teams.
Such unethical practices have become quite rampant since the past couple of years.
Even though many new medical colleges have come up across the country, the number of medical colleges which are of highest standard qualitatively is becoming dearer and dearer.
In accordance with the new initiative, medical colleges would be informed late in the evening if any MCI team is visiting the medical colleges tomorrow.
Their place of accommodation is no longer disclosed to authorities of medical colleges.
Meanwhile, MCI has issued strict instructions to all its officials not to accept any form of gift from medical college authorities.