166 doctors were working as ghost faculties in various medical colleges. (Representational Image)
The Punjab Medical Council has suspended the registration of two doctors who were acting as "ghost faculty" in two separate medical colleges in Haryana. The orders for 6-month suspension were issued at the direction of the Medical Council of India.
Dr Vijay Kumar Sharda of Government Medical College, Patiala, was found acting as ghost faculty for NC Medical College in Panipat. Dr Ved Prakash Gupta was found to be acting as ghost faculty in Sri Guru Gobind Singh Tri-centenary Medical College in Gurgaon.
The widespread practice of having "ghost faculty" at medical colleges - hiring private practitioners for 2 to 3 days to help get the institutions get and retain their licence - was cracked in Punjab in January after medical council chief GS Grewal blew the whistle.
Every medical college has to meet a minimum requirement of faculty, patients, equipment and infrastructure. But the council found that they were beating the system by parachuting in doctors on days of inspection.
The council had found that 166 doctors registered with it were working as ghost faculties in various medical colleges in the region.
Four of them had the charges established against them, Dr Grewal had said. He had also alleged that Health Education Minister Anil Joshi was protecting them.