Medical education department sends fourth notice to CPS

The College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) has been sent a fourth show-cause notice by the medical education department asking it to explain anomalies found at hospitals offering its courses during an inspection last year. The notice comes as the Bombay high court decides whether a writ petition filed by the CPS will merit a hearing. Two institutions offering CPS courses were found closed and anomalies detected in 45 others during last year's inspection, while another 73 refused inspection. The CPS is an autonomous examination body that grants degrees under the Indian Medical Degrees Act, 1916.

The medical education department on Thursday sent another show-cause notice to the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS), asking it to explain by April 18 the anomalies found at the hospitals offering its courses during an inspection last year.

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The fourth notice comes at a time when the Bombay high court is scheduled to decide on April 17 if a writ petition, filed by the CPS seeking directions to start admissions that had been stopped after a state enquiry, would merit a hearing.

An official at Mantralaya said the fourth notice was issued because the CPS had failed to provide a satisfactory reply in the last three hearings.

CPS president Dr Girish Maindarkar, however, said their lawyer submitted their reply before medical education department officials on April 12, two days before the third notice’s stipulated time ended. “Our office has not yet received the fourth notice.”

In an inspection carried out by the Maharashtra Medical Council last year, two institutions offering courses of specialisation by the CPS were found closed while anomalies were detected in 45 institutions. Another 73 institutions refused inspection.

Medical education secretary Ashwini Joshi, in January and February, wrote two letters to the ministry of health and family welfare about the state of affairs at the CPS and why admissions to its courses should be stopped.

In reaction, the association of CPS-affiliated institutes met union minister Nitin Gadkari and sought his intervention. On March 9, Gadkari wrote to chief secretary Manukumar Srivastava, accusing Joshi of creating impediment to the CPS work. Joshi’s office then sent a rebuttal to Srivastava, defending her stand and citing examples of Rajasthan and Gujarat that had stopped admissions to CPS courses.

On March 14, the CPS received the first show-cause notice. The CPS representatives met Joshi but were asked for further clarifications and given a second hearing date - March 24. However, the CPS moved the Bombay high court.

Meanwhile, the Central government has formed an eight-member committee headed by the director general of health services to investigate the matter related to recognition of CPS courses and to recommend measures to address all issues at the Mumbai-based CPS.

The CPS is an autonomous examination body that was established in 1912. It grants degrees under the Indian Medical Degrees Act, 1916.