Penal action by MCI against colleges for capitation fee: Panel

A Parliamentary Committee has expressed concerns over inaction of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to streamline the system to check medical colleges from charging capitation fee and authorise Medical Council of India to initiate penal action against them.
In its report tabled in Lok Sabha today, the Committee on Estimates has said that it expects that government will take apropriate action in this regard by amending the MCI Act in empowering it to act against such colleges.
"It is not clear what prevents the government to initiate steps to suitably amend MCI Act to enable MCI to take penal action. The Committee would expect appropriate action in this regard without any further delay," the panel report said.

The Committee, chaired by Fransisco Sardinha, into the functioning of MCI also noted with concern that government was silent on its action in urging states to formulate a perspective plan on medical education and health care, based on which a National Perspective Plan could be formulated.
"The action taken reply has also not addressed the issue of offering better opportunities for admission in post- graduate courses to those graduates who volunteer for medical practice in rural areas," it said.
The Committee expected that the Ministry would follow up on the MCI proposal that every state should set up a medical university.

It said that only 12 states have so far set up medical varsities and asked the Health Ministry to take up the matter at the highest level with remaining state governments in setting up such universities.
The Estimates Committee also expressed concern over the Ministry not taking action in checking malpractices in the medical profession and taking concrete steps in minimising litigations for early settlement of pending cases and asked government to respond soon.