National Medical Commission Mandates Sweeping Action Over Hospital Irregularities
The National Medical Commission has issued a comprehensive order demanding disciplinary proceedings, criminal investigation, and extensive corrective measures following an inquiry that uncovered severe irregularities and institutional failures in super-speciality medical courses at Lok Nayak Hospital, which is affiliated with Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi.
Inquiry Reveals Systemic Non-Compliance with Norms
In a detailed directive dated January 28, the NMC's Medical Assessment and Rating Board confirmed that its final inquiry report, accepted completely, established significant non-compliance with statutory regulations in the MCh neurosurgery and DM neuro-anaesthesia programs. This finding has prompted the commission to issue urgent instructions to the Delhi government for immediate and time-bound corrective actions.
Protection and Migration of Affected Students
To safeguard the academic interests of enrolled students, the NMC has implemented several protective measures:
- Degree protection for the 2022–25 MCh neurosurgery batch to ensure their qualifications remain valid.
- Immediate academic migration of the 2023–26 MCh neurosurgery batch to Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, along with reassignment of their thesis guides.
- Declaration of void admissions for the 2024–27 MCh neurosurgery batch, with students to be relocated to available seats at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and GIPMER on humanitarian grounds.
- Immediate migration of the DM neuro-anaesthesia 2024 batch to a recognized institution, citing the absence of a valid department and qualified faculty at Lok Nayak Hospital.
Disciplinary and Criminal Proceedings Initiated
The commission has directed the Delhi government to commence penalty proceedings against Dr. PN Pandey, former head of neurosurgery at Lok Nayak Hospital, under whose leadership the alleged irregularities and serious misconduct reportedly occurred. Dr. Pandey is to be transferred to a non-sensitive position or face suspension pending investigation.
Furthermore, the NMC has mandated the appointment of an independent inquiry authority and presenting officer, preferably from outside Delhi government medical institutions, to ensure neutrality and fairness in the proceedings.
In a significant escalation, the commission has ordered the matter to be referred for criminal investigation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for alleged offences including:
- Cheating and inducement of students
- Forgery and misrepresentation
- Criminal conspiracy
- Abuse of official position
Defense and Counter-Allegations
When contacted for his response, Dr. PN Pandey alleged that the NMC acted arbitrarily and without evidence in recommending action against him. He accused the commission of unilateral decision-making, claiming its actions violated principles of natural justice and disrupted medical education processes.
Systemic Failures and Administrative Lapses
The NMC's order highlighted several systemic deficiencies that contributed to the situation:
- Failure to honor undertakings submitted regarding faculty and infrastructure requirements
- Weak administrative oversight and monitoring mechanisms
- Structural mismatch between academic responsibility and administrative control between Lok Nayak Hospital and Maulana Azad Medical College
Additionally, the health department has been instructed to coordinate with central authorities to remove an irregular MCC institute code that was created in violation of established regulations.
The matter had been previously highlighted in media reports, bringing attention to the serious lapses in medical education standards at the institution.
