In ‘good faith’, GMCH collects over Rs 20 crore in bad debt

By Vikas Vaidya

The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has to recover over Rs 20 crore from students, current and ex, as a result of working purely in good faith. Many of the students from whom the amount has to be recovered have completed their MBBS, Post Graduation, joined hospitals or opened their own establishments. Now, there is hardly anything that can be done on part of the GMCH to recover the amount, which is acually the fees.
When a student doing his MBBS needs any bonafide certificate, he or she has to get clearance through clerk, office head and finally the Vice-Dean. For this, the student is supposed to pay the entire fee which is pending till that time. Unfortunately, things have not been working this way at GMHC. Working in good faith, the earlier Vice-Dean cleared the claims for certificates without ensuring whether the fees has been paid in full or not. Many students thus completed the term, received admit cards, appeared for examination and stepped out without paying a single penny to the GMHC.
After years of this being the practice, the Pandora’s Box opened recently.
Dr Makrand Vyawahare, Head of Department of Forensic Medicine, GMCH took over as Vice-Dean. Last week, he received some 750 forms to be signed for some certificates. He checked the rules and found that the students had not paid the amount pending to the college. Students paid Rs 72,000, including tuition fees of Rs 58,500, library fees, Students’ Council fee and other such overheads while taking admission. After that, very few students paid the amount due, it was found. The tuition fees was Rs 40,000 till year 2012 and then was hiked to Rs 58,500. As Dr Vyawahare probed deep into the matter, he realised that the amount pending with each student was to the tune of Rs 2 lakh. He summoned the clerk and office staff and more shocking information was revealed. Students had not paid the amount since year 2006!
The GMCH has an intake of 200 students. Roughly, students who do not need to pay fees under various reserved category are about 100. This means that the GMCH gets revenue from the remaining 100 students. Each year, 100 students are supposed to pay fees. In the four years of getting MBBS degree, on an average say 300 students do not pay charges every year. This total amount comes to over Rs 2 crore every year. This also means that till year 2015, in these 9 years, the amount pending with students is Rs 20 crore. Ans this too has come to fore initially. According to sources, students of earlier batches too have not paid the amount and moved out after completing their courses. Dean Dr Abhimanyu Niswade too admitted that much amount has been pending with students.
Taken aback by the scale of bad debts, Dr Vyawahare issued a notice wherein he appealed to students to pay the amount and get the certificate. When he tried to take stern action, some disgruntled elements damaged the glass window of his chamber in protest. Dr Vyawahare then lodged complaint with the Dean but as of now, no action has been taken.
If one looks at the larger picture, there are 14 medical colleges in the State. If it is assumed that this irregularity has taken place in every medical college, then the pending amount comes to around Rs 280 crore, if the statistics applicable in GMHC are taken into account. This has never been noticed in the past. Now with the mind-boggling figures in hand, how the Government acts on this particular issue needs to be seen.

Dr Niswade signs students forms, amount is still pending

Contrary to what Dr Vyawahare did, Dean of GMCH Dr Abhimanyu Niswade signed the forms of students. Dr Vyawahare has issued a notice that the students’ forms would not be signed unless pending amount is paid by them. When asked why he was signing the same forms, Dr Niswade said, “I have asked students to submit the affidavit wherein they have assued to pay the amount within two months. I am signing all forms and I am sure that students would pay the amount.”
When Dr Vyawahare issued notice, the students made a queue at the counter and started paying amount pending with them and Rs 23 lakh got deposited. But Dr Niswade started signing the forms and remaining students did not bother to pay the amount.
Since Dr Niswade has decided to sign the forms, students saw a ray of hope in him. On one hand Dr Vyawahare trying to save the revenue of Government, Dr Niswade took a different turn.

Students’ council account from zero to Rs 3 lakh

Students have to pay Rs 500 every year which is deposited in the account of Students Council which is used for various students activities. But since years not a single penny has been given by students and nobody asked them to do so. Dr Vyawahare took over and the scene has changed. In four months of his regime, an amount of Rs 3 lakh got deposited in the account.