Strong action taken against medical colleges not maintaining proper faculty, says Mansukh Mandaviya

NEW DELHI: The government on Friday said it has taken strong action against medical colleges not maintaining proper faculty and that action will be taken against similar delinquent institutions. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also told Lok Sabha that state governments are responsible for keeping faculty members in case of government-run medical institutions and in case of private medical colleges, the responsibility lies with the respective management.

Mandaviya said the central government keeps sending inspection teams to medical colleges besides taking undertakings and affidavits from medical colleges for maintaining proper faculty. “We have to give quality education to students, we have to produce good doctors. We have taken strong action against those institutions which were not maintaining proper faculty and some more action will be taken against some other institutions,” he said. The minister said the government would not hesitate to take strong action against those medical colleges which are found to be involved in irregularities.

Also Read | Nearly 50% faculty posts in 19 new AIIMS lying vacant: Govt data

Replying to a question about progress of the AIIMS Madurai, he said classes for students have already started while work on the permanent building will begin soon after some delay due to changes in the proposed structure, leading to increase of budget from Rs 1200 crore to Rs 1900 crore. “The government of India is committed to serve the people of Tamil Nadu through AIIMS Madurai. No need to worry, we will complete the project. We will build a good AIIMS (in Madurai),” he said.

Mandaviya said to augment the availability of qualified human resource in health and to reduce disparities in the existing geographical distribution of medical colleges in the country, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare administers a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district or referral hospitals with preference to underserved areas and aspirational districts, where there is no existing government or private medical college.

Also Read | 263 new medical colleges in 8 years; UG seats up 87%; PG seats, 105%: Health Ministry

He said under the scheme, a total of 157 medical colleges have been sanctioned in three phases with fund sharing between the Centre and State Governments in the ratio of 90:10 for Northeastern and Special Category States and 60:40 for others.

As per the scheme guidelines, the state government is the implementing agency and the planning, execution and commissioning of the projects is to be done by the state government. The release of funds under the scheme is based on pace of expenditure, release of corresponding state share and receipt of utilisation certificates, as well as demand from State and UT Government, he said.