The Punjab Medical Council has issued notices to doctors working in medical colleges who are accused of running their own clinics or employed with private nursing homes in the state.
The Punjab Medical Council's bid to take action against ghost teachers in private medical colleges has hit a road block, with state medical education minister, Anil Joshi, opposing the move, hundreds of faculty members in various colleges are allegedly running their own private practice hundreds of kilometers away, raising questions on the teaching standards.
The council's enquiry committee has issued notices to doctors working in four private medical colleges who are accused of running their own clinics or employed with private nursing homes in the state. These private medical colleges are in Punjab, Himachal and Ambala.
NDTV has accessed file notings in which the Punjab minister has questioned the authority of the enquiry committee itself, whether the council has officially recognised the committee, as its members are not elected. The medical education department has written back to the Council asking not to issue any notice in connection with ghost faculty.
The President of Punjab Medical Council, Dr GS Grewal told NDTV, "Initially people were taking it lightly... but now when things are nearing completion... all these people have begun trying put all sorts of pressure on the PMC either through me... some of them even went to the minister's house."
According to the council, the prominent ones are Gian Sagar Medical College, Patiala which has 64 ghost teachers, while Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Bathinda has 48.
The Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences in Faridkot, Dr Raj Bahadur said, "This is a very serious issue... such teachers are increasing day by day... I have seen in Punjab that these teachers are going on the day of inspection. If you do a surprise inspection, you will find the teachers are not there."
As per Medical Council of India guidelines, if found guilty teaching license of the erring doctors can be suspended for two to five years. But the slow speed at which the enquiry is progressing, leaves enough room to get away easily.