Article Today, Hyderabad: A visit to Mahaveer Medical College in Vikarabad paints a grim picture of the state of medical education in certain private institutions. Despite having the mandate to serve patients and train future doctors, the college’s teaching hospital remains eerily empty, lacking patients, equipment, and basic sanitation.
Students Learning Without Real Cases
On Monday, a team from ‘Article Today’ digital news paper visited the campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. What they found was shocking. Several wards meant for clinical teaching stood empty. There were no signs of real patients. In some wards, beds were stacked or left unattended. In others, only a few individuals sat around, not appearing to receive any treatment. Students have no exposure to live medical cases, raising serious concerns about the quality of education.
Ghost-Like Hospital Infrastructure
In most wards, there were no doctors, nurses, or patients. Wards such as General Medicine, Surgery, and Pediatrics looked more like abandoned structures than medical facilities. The General Medicine female ward was dark and unclean, resembling a neglected bungalow. Equipment like BP monitors were absent, and in some wards, even basic items like cotton were missing. The Pediatric ward had no children, and the beds were piled together, clearly unused for long.
ICU With No Care, No Cleanliness
Perhaps most concerning was the state of the ICU and Emergency Ward. Though designated as critical areas, they lacked cleanliness and basic functionality. Beds were dirty, monitors were not operational, and very few patients were visible. Junior doctors were seen chatting among themselves rather than attending to emergencies. The absence of any activity raises questions about how such institutions pass medical inspections.
Fake Patients for Inspections?
Outside the hospital, the team observed groups of people being loaded into buses. Upon inquiry, a hospital staff member revealed that these individuals were brought in as fake patients for inspection purposes. He admitted they are paid between Rs.200 and Rs.500 each, depending on demand. These individuals are brought in the morning, offered food, and sent back home once the ‘inspection’ ends.
Questions Over NMC’s Role
The National Medical Commission (NMC), which oversees approvals for medical colleges, seems to have overlooked these blatant irregularities. With no real teaching or clinical exposure, students are being handed certificates without practical knowledge. The fact that such a college continues to operate raises serious doubts about regulatory integrity and enforcement.
On Monday morning, the following observations were made:
- The General Surgery male ward was locked, while another room showed a man casually using his phone with no signs of treatment.
- The Pediatrics ward had no children; beds were piled up.
- Orthopaedic and Psychiatry wards had no patients.
- The Medical College library lacked books and journals. Students inside were seen chatting casually.
Public Must Question the Standards
Mahaveer Medical College was established to serve the people of Vikarabad and nearby areas with quality healthcare while training competent doctors. However, it is failing on both fronts. With minimum patient care, poor infrastructure, and fake inspections, the institution is deceiving students and the public. This raises one key question — how did this college receive permission in the first place?
(In Tomorrow’s Edition: If students are admitted to Mahaveer Medical College by spending lakhs and crores, what exactly are they being taught there? A detailed look into Mahaveer Medical College’s admission, fee structure, and academic credibility.)
