NMC Finds Deficiencies In SCB MCH At Odisha’s Cuttack; Issues Show Cause

Bhubaneswar: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has  found serious shortcomings at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Odisha’s Cuttack and reportedly warned to withhold recognition for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Sources said NMC’s medical education boards had recently assessed the standard of education, examination and other teaching facilities at the premier institute. Thereafter, the regulatory body has issued show cause notices to the college citing several deficiencies.

It was found by the undergraduate medical education board (UGMEB) that dermatology and respiratory medicine departments have no faculty or senior resident doctors, while there are vacancies in posts of one assistant professor and five tutors/demonstrators in community medicine; one professor, one associate professor, two assistant professors and four tutors/demonstrators in forensic medicine and toxicology.

Likewise, posts of seven associate professors and five senior residents in general surgery and one associate professor and three tutors are lying vacant in microbiology department, one professor and two associate professors in pharmacology; one professor and one senior resident doctor in radio-diagnosis; two associate professors, three assistant professors and five tutors in physiology; two associate professors and three senior residents in orthopaedics and five senior residents in obstetrics and gynaecology departments are lying vacant.

During inspection, it was also found that the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) has not been established and cameras have not been installed in the college/hospital as per NMC notification and regulations. As per norms, the college should maintain cameras of the hospital management information system (HMIS) and keep them functioning and connected with the digital mission mode project (DMPP), sources said.

The NMC is reported to have issued a show cause notice to de-recognise DM and MCh seats in nephrology and urology departments respectively as professor posts are lying vacant. While the professor’s post in the nephrology department is vacant for more than two years after the death of Prof Chittaranjan Kar, no professor has been posted in the urology department after the retirement of Prof Datteswar Hota last year.

The NMC has asked the medical college to submit a written explanation within 30 days with supporting documents. The medical commission has made it clear that the admissions will be stopped if no compliance is received within the stipulated period or compliance is found unsatisfactory. A senior official said steps are being taken to fill the vacancies in the medical college.