PUDUCHERRY: It’s an exercise in patience for the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Research Institute (IGMCRI). Eagerly waiting for the nod from the Medical Council of India (MCI), it has to wait some more what with the board of governors of the MCI extending the deadline for issue of the letter of permission for undergraduate courses in medical colleges across the country for the academic year 2011-12 from June 15, 2011 to June 30, 2011. The same has been extended with prior approval of the central government, with this extension being applicable only for this year as an exceptional case, stated the MCI in its notice on its website, on Wednesday.This is a sequel to the show cause notices issued by the MCI on May 10, May 31 and June 1 to those medical colleges, as well as faculty, where cases of simultaneous working of faculty at two colleges were found on the basis of verification of declaration forms, submitted by the faculty during the assessment. All concerned were granted an opportunity to tender their replies to such show cause notice within the specified time frame. MCI has received responses from several colleges and faculty members and these are currently being examined, itstated in a notice on its website on June 13. However, another two days’ time was given to those colleges which had not furnished replies.IGMCRI , the only government medical college under the Puducherry government, which is awaiting the outcome of the compliance inspection of the medical College by the MCI on May 26, has also received the show cause notice served to two of its faculty members. An associate professor of pathology was also shown as a faculty in a medical college at Hassan, while an assistant professor of social and preventive medicine was shown as faculty at the Manakula Vinayagar Medical College, Puducherry. The faculty members have clarified their positions clearly, medical college sources said.Earlier a three-member assessment team deputed by MCI comprising Dr Neena Rungta, professor of anesthesiology, SMS Medical College, Jaipur, and coordinator of the team, and assessors Dr Dalbir Singh, professor of forensic medicine, PGI, Chandigarh, and Dr Sivakumar, professor of ophthalmology, Bangalore Medical College, Bengalaru, reassessed the college on May 26 to grant approval.This inspection team had come to reassess the college after the MCI turned down the approval following first inspection. The medical college administration which had rectified certain deficiencies in infrastructure and shortage in faculty positions, is keeping its fingers crossed hoping to get approval.Students have also been pinning their hopes on the college for admission. There are seven other self- financing colleges, but even there the Sri Lakshminarayana Institute of Medical Sciences is yet to get approval for admitting students in the current year. Importantly, the approval of IGMCRI will avoid all complications of CENTAC counselling, which could then start at the earliest.
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