Editor
The Appeal Committee, headed by Dr. Suresh Chandra Sharma, Chairman of the National Medical Commission (NMC), convened on June 7, 2023, to review the appeal submitted by AMCH. Representatives from the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB), Executive Medical Regulatory Board (EMRB), and Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) were present during the meeting. The Principal of AMCH, Dr. Sanjeeb Kakati, attended the meeting online on behalf of the appellant.
The appeal, dated May 20, 2023, challenged the decision made by UGMEB on March 27, 2023 (refer to Annexure-1). The College was found to have deficiencies in terms of teaching faculty and non-functioning cameras linked with the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) during the final MBBS Practical Examination, as well as during the physical verification of facilities. The College was informed about these deficiencies through a letter on February 9, 2023 (refer to Annexure-2).
In response to AMCH's letter dated March 2, 2023, UGMEB reiterated its decision on March 27, 2023, denying the continuation of recognition for the 170 MBBS seats.
During the appeal hearing, the Chairman of the NMC requested the Principal of AMCH to present their case against UGMEB's decision. The Principal informed the 1st Appeal Committee that the vacancies in the ENT Department were among the major concerns addressed, and all the deficiencies pointed out by UGMEB had been rectified. The College assured that there were no faculty vacancies, and all faculty members were registered on the Aadhaar Based Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS). The Principal also confirmed that all cameras were functional and linked with the HMIS Portal and NMC Data Centre. The 1st Appeal Committee thoroughly discussed the matter and concluded that, apart from the AEBAS issues, the Institute met NMC norms in all other parameters. The Committee instructed AMCH to ensure the complete implementation of AEBAS for faculty attendance and to maintain the functionality of NMC's CCTV cameras to accurately record patient footfall. They also emphasized the importance of sharing daily HMIS data with NMC's data centre and adhering to NMC's IT initiatives. After considering all the facts and submissions, the 1st Appeal Committee unanimously decided to grant the continuation of recognition for 170 MBBS degree seats to AMCH for five years. The Principal of AMCH, Guwahati, accepted the committee's decision.
In a related development, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter to announce that the National Medical Commission has recognized both Assam Medical College and Guwahati Medical College for another five years. Assam Medical College has been granted 170 MBBS seats, while Guwahati Medical College has received recognition for 156 seats in the MBBS course.