‘Don’t produce Munna Bhai MBBS docs in Baripada medical college’

Ayaskant Das Published On : May 19, 2017 at 7:53 PM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 19:

Less than a week after Supreme Court-mandated Oversight Committee gave its go-ahead to proceed for admission process at Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital in Baripada, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today took a jibe at the Odisha government over inadequacy in infrastructure. Further, he cautioned the government not to produce “Munna Bhai MBBS” doctors at the newly-approved medical college.

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“State government should first meet the conditions and then begin the academic session where proper education would be imparted. We should create skilled doctors and not Munna Bhai MBBS-like doctors. For that, necessary guidelines should be complied with. Medical college can not be opened in shortcut,” Dharmendra Pradhan said.

Citing examples of Sardar Rajas Medical College and Hospital in Kalahandi and Hi-Tech Medical College in Rourkela on its fate, Pradhan said: “The Supreme Court-mandated Oversight Committee has given conditional approval. Is has directed the Union government and MCI to obtain undertaking from the state government on it. Students should not face trouble.”

Reacting to Pradhan’s swipe, state Health Minister Pratap Jena said the former is simple “envious”.

“Government medical college in Baripada should not be compared with private medical colleges. Setting up of Baripada medical college is state government’s responsibility. When MCI did not give permission and we moved Supreme Court-mandated Oversight Committee to get the approval, the Union Minister is not able to digest it and getting envious,” state Health Minister Pratap Jena said.

Earlier on May 6, Odisha Health and Family Welfare secretary Pramod Kumar Meherda had written to P SeshKumar, the secretary to Oversight Committee after MCI did not recommend for issuance of Letter of Permission (LoP) for commencement of academic session from 2017-18 at the PRMMC&H despite fulfilment of all the mandates.

Following this, Union Health Minister JP Nadda had called a meeting to sort out the pending issues. After the meeting, Nadda asked the Medical Council of India (MCI) to inspect the medical college and submit a report by May 24 so as to facilitate issuance of LoP necessary to start academic session.