The National Medical Commission (NMC), the highest body monitoring medical education in the country, has threatened to reduce the number of MBBS seats in government medical colleges in West Bengal in 2025 for non-payment of fines in lakhs of rupees imposed by the commission on these teaching hospitals.
About two months ago, the NMC had fined most of the government medical colleges for not following the mandatory Aadhaar enabled biometric attendance system (AEBAS).
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In order to monitor the attendance of teaching doctors attached with state-run medical colleges the NMC had directed the teaching hospitals across the country to instal AEBAS and CCTV cameras. The regulatory body also found that many teaching hospitals in the state are not regularly uploading the total number of daily surgeries performed by doctors in respective medical teaching institutes.
Aggrieved with non-implementation of the mandatory AEBAS and CCTVs, the commission took drastic action against these institutes. It fined NRS Medical College Hospital Rs 24 lakh, Medical College Hospital Rs 20 lakh, SSKM Hospital Rs 18 lakh and Sagar Dutta State General Hospital and College of Medicine Rs 12 lakh.
But none of these colleges paid the fine and is sitting idle on the NMC’s drastic measures, instead of making any appeal to it requesting to waive off the money.
Taking up the matter seriously, the commission, more than a year ago, had stated that despite various reminders and requests many medical colleges were yet to implement the AEBAS, health management information system (HMIS) and CCTV connections. The commission was prompted to take such drastic initiatives to keep strong vigilance on attendance records of medical teachers in teaching hospitals.
