Plea by medical college dismissed

The Madras High court Bench here today dismissed a plea by Chennai Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, an off campus institute of SRM University at Tiruchirappalli, to direct Medical Council of India and Tamil Nadu Medical Council to treat 2009-10 students batch as provisionally recognised batch.
The court also dismissed their plea, by another writ, to quash the government of India order disapproving the scheme of recognition of MBBS course for academic session 2014-15.
Besides, it also dismissed the plea of the first batch of students who joined in 2009, to direct MCI and Registrar of TNMC to treat the college as a provisionally recognised batch and grant provisional registration certificate to complete internship and permanent registration certificate to them.

Justice K K Sasidharan pointed out that the inspection team of the MCI in its assessment report recommended not to grant recognition to the college for the year 2014-15. The core question was as to whether fundamental defects were noticed by the inspecting team.
The college was expected to maintain the out patient division attendance at 1200. But the team found attendance on the days of assessment was only 960. Besides the bed occupancy was only 60 per cent.
The requirement regarding prescribed OPD attendance and bed occupancy were made with a purpose.The students should be in a position to examine patients as part of their curriculum, the judge said.

The judge said the Central government had taken the decision to disapprove college on the basis of the MCI recommendation.

The Cente had also made it clear that the disapproval of scheme for 2014-15 would not prevent the college from submitting fresh scheme for the subsequent year.
The judge however criticised the Centre for delaying the decision. When the time for approval for 2014-15 had been set at July 15,2014, then time schedule should be applicable to the college, MCI and Central government.
However the court could not issue a direction to the MCI or the Centre to violate law and give recognition.

There was a legal duty on the MCI to grant recogntion to the institution and permit the students to complete the intership. But in view of the deficiencies approval had not been given, the Judge said dismissing the petitions.