‘Arrested Medical Council chief was guilty of misconduct’

By Sahil Makkar, IANS
Friday, April 23, 2010

NEW DELHI - Medical Council of India chief Ketan Desai, who was arrested Thursday night, was guilty of a “conspiracy” to fraudulently give recognition to a private medical college in Punjab to enable it to run courses and take more students even though they did not meet required criteria, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sources said Friday.

Desai was to accept “heavy” bribe money from a middleman, J.P. Singh, and a doctor, Kawaljeet Singh, of the Gian Sagar Medical College, located between Chandigarh and Patiala on a sprawling campus that also includes a 500-bed hospital.

The CBI sources, who did not wish to be identified as they were not supposed to speak to the media, said Sukhwinder Singh, vice chairman of the Gian Sagar Charitable trust and one of the trustees of the Gian Sagar Medical College, approached Desai through J.P. Singh “to find out ways and means to overcome the deficiencies regarding infrastructure of the college and get permission from MCI.”

“Desai sought heavy consideration through J.P. Singh. He not only provided prior information about the inspection schedule of MCI but also ensured that favourable report is given by the inspectors, resulting which the Gyan Sagar Medical College has obtained the requisite permission,” the sources said.

Sukhwinder Singh has also been arrested and brought to New Delhi.

The sources said an inspecting team of MCI had denied renewal to Gian Sagar Medical College. The inspecting team in their Jan 12 report, which was for renewal of permission for the fourth batch of students for the 2010-2011 academic session, reported many infrastructural deficiencies, like in the radiology department, that had three static and three mobile units against the requirement of five each.

“There was no facility for demonstrating experimental work on animals by computer aided education. There was no provision for e-class. Pharmaco-vigilance committee is not constituted. Space for endoscopy is not provided in the operation theater. Central research laboratory was not available,” said the CBI’s internal report a copy of which was available with IANS.

There were also other infrastructural deficiencies like no proper common room for boys and girls, limited seating capacity in auditorium and examination hall non-availibility of other key clinical equipment.

The college was asked to provide an undertaking to the MCI that it will not undertake courses leading to Diploma in National Board (DNB), a post graduate medical diploma, in the opthalmology and medicine until they improve their infrastructure.

According to the CBI, Sukhwinder Singh arranged for Rs. 2 crore to be delivered to Desai through J.P. Singh at a preferred location in Delhi on April 22. The money was brought to Delhi by Kawaljeet Singh who was exerting influence over Desai by “corrupt or illegal means…”

J.P. Singh had also been providing expensive gifts to Desai for some time in the pursuit of his nefarious plans, the sources said.

However, close associates of Desai in the MCI, the profession’s highest regulatory body, said that Desai was being framed as he had initiated many reforms that had alienated vested interests in the profession as well pharmaceutical firms that often worked hand in glove with many doctors.

In the last few months, Desai has been in the news for wide-ranging reforms - ranging from abolishing the “corrupt practice” of accepting gifts by doctors to introducing a truncated rural MBBS course for creating a cadre for rural India. He has also written to pharmaceutical companies asking them to explain why they sponsored foreign trips for scores of doctors and threatening to withdraw licensing of doctors who accepted such favours.

However, no one from MCI came forward to speak in favour of or against Desai on record.

When contacted, K.P. Mathur, an MCI member, told IANS: “I read about the incident in newspapers this (Friday) morning. I have no more information. You know as much as I know.”

Filed under: Accidents and Disasters

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