National bodies being used to criticise Tamil Nadu’s institutions, says Health Minister

An organisation like the National Medical Commission saying it will cancel recognition of three institutes, including Stanley Medical College, for issues as minor as missing and faulty CCTV cameras clearly shows their discriminatory attitude against the State: Ma. Subramanian

Minister Ma. Subramanian, Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu, Health Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi and Corporation Commissioner J. Radhakrishnan at the health camp in Dooming Kuppam on Saturday. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma. Subramanian on Saturday said national bodies like the National Medical Commission were being used by the Union government ahead of the 2024 elections to criticise Tamil Nadu’s institutions.

He was referring to the recent news reports that the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB), an autonomous body under the National Medical Commission (NMC), said it might withdraw the recognition of Stanley Medical College (SMC), K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College in Tiruchi and Dharmapuri Government Medical College and Hospital due to a non-compliance of certain norms.

Addressing the media after inaugurating a medical camp in Dooming Kuppam here, Mr. Subramanian said all three medical colleges, especially Stanley and the one in Tiruchi, were doing great service. He said the issues pointed out were minor such as the lack CCTV cameras at a few locations. He said the faulty cameras would be repaired immediately. He said an organisation like the NMC saying it would cancel recognition for such minor issues clearly showed their discriminatory attitude against Tamil Nadu.

NCPCR statement

Similarly, he said the NCPCR team, which visited the government hospital in Chidambaram as part of its inquiry on whether minor girls were being subjected to virginity tests in relation to an alleged case of child marriage in the Dikshithars community, had told doctors that they had not done anything wrong.

However, he said the team later issued a contradictory statement to the media to support Governor R.N. Ravi’s claims that virginity tests were conducted. He said the Union government should realise from past experience that, if it wanted to use national bodies against the rights of the State, it would not succeed.

The Minister and the Department’s Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi will soon meet the Union Health Minister and AYUSH Minister to highlight the demands of Tamil Nadu and to avoid such incidents of unnecessarily criticising the institutions of the State.

Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu was also present at the inauguration of the medical camp, which also held an enrolment drive for those who not already registered under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.