The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued guidelines to identify fake patients in medical colleges and hospitals seeking permission to set up new institutions or increase seats in undergraduate and postgraduate courses. If the condition of the patient is not proved to be fit for admission, action will be taken against the medical colleges.

The commission said that this will be considered a serious violation and punishment will be given as per the rules. This is the first time that the commission has issued such guidelines. These guidelines have been issued after cases of some medical institutions admitting fake patients (persons who do not require any treatment or who do not need to be admitted) came to light.

Criteria for identifying fake patients

According to the guidelines, large number of patients admitted on the day of inspection or the day before, multiple patients from the same family admitted, or patients admitted with no underlying problem or minor problem that can be treated with medicines in the OPD can be the criteria for identifying 'fake patients'.

The commission said that some medical institutes have been doing arbitrary things for a long time. It has been observed for a long time that some medical institutes / colleges admit fake patients. As per the guidelines, the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) will select a team of investigators. To ensure compliance with the NMC guidelines, the investigators will conduct an assessment to check the college's infrastructure, quality of medical education, faculty, AEBAS data, other indicators and the financial condition of the college.

Discussion will also be held with the students

During the assessment, staff and all students will also be spoken to. Medical colleges established by the state or central government may be exempted from inspection based on self-declaration and analysis of the document submitted by the medical college. Colleges will have to follow the guidelines for attendance of teachers and other staff.