Shun Corruption, Azad Tells New Medical Board

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has asked the new medical board that will oversee the Medical Council of India (MCI) to shun corruption and ensure transparency. In a letter to the governing body head and eminent gastroenterologist S K Sarin, Azad said that the decisions to be taken by the board of governors should be free, fair and without fear. This is the second letter on the matter being written by Mr Azad. Last week, he wrote to medical college warning them against bribing officials to get recognition.

In the present communication, he also cautioned board members against touts, "There are a large number of touts in the field of medical education who are being used by the managements of some interested institutions to get clearances for their colleges by illegal means. These touts collect money from interested institutions in the name of the government, office bearers and the members of the Medical Council of India, thereby bringing bad name to both the government and the Medical Council of India," Azad wrote in the letter.

The new MCI board has six members and was formed in May after the scandal that led to the resignation of MCI president Ketan Desai, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following an expose where he accepted monetary bribes to grant recognition to a medical college that did not meet the set standards.


Source-Medindia