Hyderabad: Medical colleges and hospitals in Telangana State and Andhra Pradesh have been furnishing false and fudged data on surgeries to increase the number of post-graduate (PG) medical seats in their colleges.
According to the Medical Council of India’s Post Graduation Education Committee, minor surgeries are shown as major operations in the records of teaching hospitals.
There are other anomalies too. Assistant professors are promoted as professors even though they have published no research papers. The records of GSL Medical College in Rajahmundry, in AP, show that more operations were performed than the number of patients admitted. No proper equipment and deficiency of staff are some of the other violations. Gandhi Medical College had asked for a Emergency Medicine unit but the MCI found several holes in its case.
The MCI has refused to recommend increase in the number of seats in some cases and has denied recognition in other cases due to these deficiencies and irregularities.
The promotion of Dr K. Raja Gopala Rao to professor at GSL Medical College and Hospital was not done according to the rules. He was associate professor for three years against the requirement of four years and has published no research.
Several anomalies in medical colleges come to fore
The promotion of Dr Sarat Kumar Patnaik was not as per regulations. Separately, the MCI has not recognised the PG degree of Dr Sipra Komal Jena. Two of the faculties who were not available on the day the assessment was carried out claimed they were on a government assignment, but were unable to provide any proof of this.
The average delivery rate has been less than one per month and there is no medical officer at the Urban and Rural Health Training centres. For MD (Dermatology and Venerology) at GSL Medical College, the MCI said the workload of several surgical procedures like nail surgeries, skin grafting, laser for scar revision, and pigment reduction is very low.
Regarding the increase in MS (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) seats, the MCI said the total number of patients admitted in 2016 was 7,358, but the total number of operations, deliveries, etc (excluding day care operation) were 9,254.
“This is not feasible. Data is not genuine. There were zero minor obstetric operations on the day of the assessment. Occupancy in Intensive Care Unit and High Dependency Unit was one. Attendance at specialty clinics like the gynaec endocrine clinic is low – just two to three cases per week. Equipment like loop electrosurgical excision procedure is not functional,” observed the MCI.
Regarding increase of seats in MS general surgery at GSL College, Dr Samir R. Patnaik had only one original research publication on the day of his promotion to the post of professor against requirement of four. Dr. K.L. Narsimha had no original research publications on the day of his promotion to the post of professor.
“Out of 14 major operations shown by the college, phimosis, debridement (treating wounds) and haemorrhoidectomy (removing haemorrhoids) are shown as major operations which is not as per norms. Occupancy in SICU was only two on day of assessment. The number of patients admitted in the in-patient department in 2016 was 8,306. Major, minor operations (excluding day care operations) were 12,217. This is not feasible. The number of operations was more than the total admitted patients, which means the data is not genuine,” said the MCI report.
NRI Medical College & General Hospital, Guntur
- Increase in seats for MS Obstetrics: Not feasible.
- There was no obstetric minor operation on day of assessment or on randomly selected days.
- Prenatal diagnosis services were not available.
5,519 in-patients in 2016
7,885 Major, minor surgeries, deliveries and Caesarean Section (excluding day-care operations). This data is not genuine.
NRI Medical College Guntur
- Increase of seats in MS (Orthopaedics)
- Promotion of Dr M. Rami Reddy, associate professor is not as per regulations. He was assistant professor for four years against the requirement of five.
- Dr Y. Ravi Teja appointed as senior resident holds an MBBS degree, and not eligible to hold the post.
Gandhi Medical College
- Starting MD (emergency medicine) course
- Dr N.L. Eshwar Prasad, shown as Prof. & head of department of emergency medicine is appointed as professor of surgery and shown to be working in emergency medicine but there is no order to that effect. In the faculty table, he is shown as professor of surgery. There is no evidence of special training in emergency medicine.
- Dr P.V. Pravin Kumar, shown as associate professor of emergency medicine, is appointed as associate professor of anaesthesiology. There is no evidence of special training in emergency medicine.
- Dr Geetha Navuduri, shown as assistant professor of emergency medicine is appointed as assistant professor, medicine.
- Dr P. Sridhar, senior resident, does not have 3 years experience in this department before appointment, nor qualified to hold the post.
