180 medical students suspended in Bihar for disrupting health services

Bihar medical authorities ordered suspension of 180 medical students for disrupting health services in the state.

Bihar authorities have ordered the suspension of around 180 medical students who were expressing their anguish over their failure in the first year's Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) professional examination and frequently disrupting the health care services in Bihar.

Recently, nearly 40% of medical students of the 2019 batch from nine medical colleges in Bihar were declared failed in the first year professional examination. The students were protesting on the streets and inside the medical institutes and hospitals which was causing inconvenience to the patients at the time of the ongoing pandemic and also when dengue cases are affecting children in the state. 

All the suspended students are from Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH). The medical students have also been asked to leave the hostel rooms and they can join classes back only on condition that their guardians provide affidavits that their wards would not repeat this in future.

PMCH principal Dr Vidyapati Choudhary told the media that disciplinary action against the students was needed else it will encourage gross indiscipline. He also pointed out that the students' demand has nothing to do with their college as the exam was conducted by Aryabhatta Knowledge University, Patna. 

All nine medical colleges have been witnessing such protests with students' demand to be promoted despite failing the exams. However, National Medical Commission (NMC) has not provided any such provision for promoting students like this, hence the authorities can not accept their demands.

The nine medical colleges are Hospital (JLNMCH), Bhagalpur, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Pawapuri (Nalanda), Vardhman Medical College (VMC), Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMMCH), Gaya, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), and Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).

Read more:

• 447 MBBS students from Bihar demand promotion despite failing in exam
• NMC to allow NEXT score improvement every year