A rush for capitation fees and a policy muddle could be leaving us with a horde of doctors who have a degree but little medical education
FOR a teaching hospital, Divya Jyoti Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (DJIMSR) in Ghaziabad, UP, was surprisingly devoid of human life on this morning. It had none of the familiar squash of Indian hospitals: sick people, stressed relatives, long and messy queues, the mingled smell of sweat and chemicals. We did have a hint that a ghostly entity awaited us. “Aage sirf jangal hai,” a man we asked for directions had said earlier. Only a jungle ahead. We kept going anyway, along a broad road that started cutting through fields, until we caught our first glimpse of the building. It looked like it had been abandoned mid-construction and has been crumbling since.
Before the guards began shouting at us, we jogged through. Every ward was locked. There was no electricity, no equipment—just a few stretchers inside locked wards, furniture piled on top of them. No ceilings, no glass panes. It was like being inside a big, concrete pipe-organ—the wind whistled through, blowing dust around.
DJIMSR had applied to the Medical Council of India (MCI) to start an MBBS course this September. Records show the hospital was set up in 2010; it had first applied for permission to start a college in 2012. They were denied permission every year, including in 2016. In August, the Supreme Court-appointed Over sight Committee (OC) headed by Justice R.M. Lodha also turned it down. The DJIMSR website shows a host of facilities, but lists no phone numbers. When Outlook visited the chairman’s office, we were told he was not available. They never got back. The telephone number medical superintendent Manoj Govil had submitted to the MCI turned out to be a wrong number. The principal listed in the MCI forms told us he no longer works there.
Esta historia es de la edición October 24, 2016 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición October 24, 2016 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The Muslim Question
In the time of polarisation politics and othering, how to respond to the banality of hate?
Voters' Cold Wave
Heat wave, voter apathy and cyclic migration are blamed for the poor voter turnout in Bihar. Political parties are clueless about what impact will it have on election results
Occupy Ivy League
Students protesting in American universities are asking the US government to rethink its policy towards Israel
Left Side Story
Personal attacks, lower voter turnout and the BJP’s determined campaigning: how has Kerala voted this time?
Across the Pir Panjals
The newly carved-out constituency of Anantnag-Rajouri is set to witness a very close contest
Gashes in the Red Sand
Residents of the tribal district of Gadchiroli resist development models that destroy the environment
When Taps and Hope Run Dry
Peaking water scarcity and pervasive groundwater contamination have increased migration from many districts of Rajasthan.
Pilgrim's Politics
Two-time MP from Varanasi, Narendra Modi, is sculpting the eternal city in his image
Under The Model Town
Muslim ghettos in Ahmedabad are dilapidated and neglected
The Master Strategist
The Assam chief minister enjoys popularity both as an administrator and a politician despite his relentless anti-Muslim rhetoric