Affiliation withdrawn: 259 MBBS students of Pathankot college to be shifted by Oct 7
BFUHS will transfer 259 MBBS students from White Medical College to eight other colleges due to infrastructure issues, with counseling from Oct 3-5.
The Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, will shift 259 MBBS students of the White Medical College and Hospital (erstwhile Chintpurni Medical College) in Pathankot to other medical colleges in the state. These students were admitted in the 2021 and 2022 sessions. The BFUHS has created 259 supernumerary seats in eight medical colleges, including four government colleges, to adjust these students through an online counseling process.
On the orders of the Punjab government, 150 supernumerary seats have been created for shifting students admitted in the MBBS course in 2022 session to eight medical colleges, including four government institutions. As many as 109 supernumerary seats have been created in seven medical colleges, including three government-run colleges, for those admitted to the White Medical College and Hospital in 2021.
The BFUHS, in a notification, announced the schedule for online counseling to shift the students. The students can select preferences of colleges from October 3 to 5. The seats will be allotted to students on October 7. The students will have to join the seats at the allotted colleges from October 8 to 9.
BFUHS vice-chancellor Dr Rajeev Sood said the National Medical Commission (NMC), during inspections, found the White Medical College and Hospital lacking infrastructure and facilities. “Even there was a shortage of faculty. In the past, all the batches of this medical college were transferred to other medical colleges due to the same reasons. The appeals of the college management were rejected by the NMC and the Punjab and Haryana high court. Following this, the state government issued a special order to transfer MBBS students of the Pathankot medical college to other colleges. A special counseling will be held by the BFUHS to allot seats to students so they can complete their remaining course,” he added.
The erstwhile Chintpurni Medical College has remained in controversy for a long time. The college was established in 2011 but closed in 2017 after inspections as it failed to provide basic infrastructure and faculty. In December 2017, 249 MBBS students of 2014 and 2016 batches were shifted to eight medical colleges in the state as per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court.
In 2021, the Chintpurni Medical College was rebranded as the White Medical College and Hospital. It managed to get permission to accept admissions for MBBS batch again in 2021. The permission continued in 2022 as well to admit 150 MBBS students.
In May, 2023, the BFUHS had temporarily withdrawn its affiliation for the 2023-2024 session after it noticed deficiencies during a surprise inspection on February 17, 2023. During inspections, it was found that the college failed to provide basic infrastructure facilities in terms of building, clinical material and teaching faculty to impart the necessary education for the medical professional course being undertaken by the petitioners. Following this, the NMC refused to renew the recognition granted to the White Medical College and Hospital.
Earlier this year, the HC had ordered the NMC and the Punjab government to shift all students of the White Medical College and Hospital in Pathankot to other colleges.
In July, the students of the Pathankot medical college had protested outside the office of the director, medical education and research, Punjab, seeking intervention of the authorities to shift them to some other recognised medical colleges in the state.
