NMC directs Dr DY Patil Medical College to submit report on alleged violations

PUNE: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed Dr DY Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Pimpri, to submit an ‘action taken report’ or ATR within seven days following a doctor’s allegations of serious violations including infrastructural deficiencies, financial irregularities and inadequate medical training.

In its letter issued on March 4, the NMC has instructed the college to furnish documentary evidence supporting its response. The move comes after multiple complaints flagged by the doctor regarding the college’s operations including the lack of transparency in stipend payments and unethical practices affecting medical students and patients.

According to NMC officials, the commission had earlier received a complaint from this doctor about non-payment of stipends and mental harassment. The Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of the NMC then issued a letter to the college on January 31, 2025 requesting a response to the complaint. The college wrote back to the NMC on February 20 claiming that the complainant (doctor) had retrieved all the necessary documents, dismissing the complaint as baseless. However, the college failed to provide any concrete proof of the stipend payments, raising further doubts.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the PGMEB of the NMC received multiple additional grievances detailing additional irregularities at the college, prompting the NMC to take serious note of the situation.

The complainant (doctor) highlighted serious infrastructure limitations at the college, claiming that there is no designated parking space for residents. The campus lacks a playground and adequate open space. The medical college campus houses multiple institutions, including the Ayurvedic College, Nursing College, Homeopathy College, and Physiotherapy College, leading to congestion and resource limitations.

The complainant (doctor) also accused the college of financial malpractices including maintenance of fake files, raising concerns about transparency and accountability. He claimed that tuition fees and hostel fees are being charged along with additional payments for faculty- and resident- publications, payments made by resident doctors to BHMS doctors for fake files, and separate charges for electricity. Stipend deductions are being carried out arbitrarily which is unacceptable, he said. He alleged other irregularities on the part of the college such as submission of fake scholarship documents to the UGC, submission of fraudulent lecture lists by the faculty, maintenance of fake OT lists, forcible collection of hostel and mess fees, and so on. Further according to the complaint, the District Residency Programme is being inadequately implemented. Resident doctors are required to travel to Aundh Civil Hospital, Aundh, at their own expense. The ACS is then sending them to Baramati, creating unnecessary logistical and financial burden.

According to the NMC, the complainant (doctor) claimed deficiencies in medical training and patient care with consultants increasingly sitting in private OPDs instead of engaging with the resident doctors, thereby severely impacting the learning experience. In the critical care unit, BAMS/BHMS physician assistants are being assigned responsibilities beyond their training, compromising patient care and resident education, the complaint said. The hospital is avoiding the use of Ayushman Bharat cards, depriving eligible patients of entitled benefits, it said.

The NMC in the letter further mentioned concerns regarding surgical training, stating that the general surgery department at the college currently has 24 MS seats. The operations are conducted in operation theatre numbers 14, 15, and 2, accommodating a total of 72 resident doctors across three years. Despite existing constraints, there are plans to increase the intake to 30 seats, which will further strain resources and compromise the quality of training.

A statement issued by Dr DY Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Pimpri, Pune, read: “Dr D Y Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Pimpri, Pune, is committed to excellence in medical education, infrastructure and patient care. We adhere to all regulatory standards and have consistently met the highest benchmarks in every inspection. The NMC follows a procedural approach in seeking clarifications for any queries raised. We categorically state that during multiple inspections, NMC assessors have not identified any deficiencies. We have responded to the NMC queries and continue to uphold regulatory compliance. Our institution remains committed to the highest standards of transparency, integrity and the relentless pursuit of medical excellence.”