A new framework is being implemented by India’s National Medical Commission (NMC) to alter the accrediting procedure for medical colleges in Maharashtra. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council’s (NAAC) existing method is thought to be insufficient for evaluating medical facilities.
To provide a uniform procedure for all medical colleges across the nation, the NMC intends to create the National Board of Accreditation for Medical Sciences. The eleven criteria that will be the focus of the new accreditation scheme include surgery and infrastructure. This modification tries to allay worries about universities luring students without fulfilling requirements in medical science.
On August 6, the National Medical Commission (NMC) will release a new accreditation framework, which would affect almost 65 medical colleges in Maharashtra.
Medical colleges are currently accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), a Central government-run entity that evaluates higher education institutions.
The National Board of Accreditation for Medical Sciences has been proposed by the Centre because, according to an NMC official, NAAC is not qualified to evaluate a medical institution.
“The change in the accreditation process is part of the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019. It will standardise the process of accreditation for all medical colleges across the country. Earlier, health universities would inspect the infrastructure and other facilities at a medical college while some institutions, especially private ones, would seek NAAC accreditation to attract students,” the official said.
Dr Pravin Shingare, former director of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Maharashtra, said many medical colleges have got A+ grading from NAAC but do not have good infrastructure because of which NMC recently reduced the number of seats in those colleges.
“NAAC accreditation was based on general criteria such as student-teacher ratio, infrastructure, research works carried out, etc. With the new accreditation system, the medical colleges will be scrutinised on 11 parameters, including the number of critical surgeries, general surgeries, super-specialty, outpatient and inpatient numbers, and whether the institution has the infrastructure to match them,” he said.
“The dean of a public medical college said many private medical colleges used NAAC accreditation to attract students for admission even though they did not meet the medical science requirements. “It is good that all the 5,000 medical colleges in the country will be accredited under the new board.”
(Source: Hindustan Times)
