Bengal doctors write to President urging probe into NMC corruption, demand independent inquiry

The Association of Health Service Doctors (AHSD), West Bengal, has submitted a formal appeal to President Droupadi Murmu on July 9, calling for immediate intervention and investigation into alleged large-scale corruption within the National Medical Commission (NMC). The letter cites the recent Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) operation which exposed a network involving 36 individuals, including senior NMC officials, Health Ministry staff, members of political families, and representatives from private medical colleges.

The association noted that the NMC was established to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI), which was dismantled over corruption charges under the leadership of Dr. Ketan Desai. According to AHSD, the NMC was created with the promise of transparency and accountability but has now become the centre of bureaucratic control and malpractice. The appeal alleges that instead of reform, the system has witnessed further institutionalisation of corruption under direct government oversight.

The letter claims the CBI investigation has revealed multiple serious irregularities, such as fake inspections, forged recognitions, forged documents by ministry officials, and money laundering. It also mentions that scam funds were reportedly used to build temples. The association described this as not just a matter of bribery, but a serious breakdown in the governance of medical education.

AHSD has placed five key demands before the President: an independent high-level inquiry under retired Supreme Court judges, suspension and prosecution of all accused persons named in the CBI chargesheet, a full parliamentary review of the NMC's functioning, the re-establishment of an autonomous and accountable body with transparent recognition systems, and protection for whistle-blowers and medical professionals who raised concerns.

Dr. Utpal Bandopadhyay, General Secretary of AHSD, signed the letter on behalf of thousands of government doctors and healthcare professionals from West Bengal. The letter states, “We don’t just seek punishment. We seek reform. We seek justice,” and requests the President to use her constitutional authority to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability in the regulation of medical education across the country.