Pune: The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College (BAVMC), a flagship project of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), is now under scrutiny for a series of allegations including negligence, corruption, and violations of regulatory standards. Once envisioned as a leading institution for medical education and healthcare, the college has instead become a symbol of institutional failure.
The college, which replaced the Naidu Hospital for Infectious Diseases, has failed to meet key operational standards and essential infrastructural requirements. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued two warnings to BAVMC for its inability to establish vital hospital services and departments, raising concerns about the future of the institution.
Dr. Siddharth Dhende, former deputy mayor of Pune, criticized the college’s lack of basic facilities, stating, “The college lacks crucial amenities like emergency medical services, autopsy units, mortuaries, laboratories, surgical departments, and even basic student infrastructure such as hostels. Its medical examination units are non-functional, which undermines the quality of education students are receiving.” Dhende, who is also a leader of the Republican Party of India (Athawale group), expressed disbelief at the absence of these fundamental departments necessary for medical training.
The NMC’s warnings have highlighted these inadequacies, and Dr. Dhende has expressed concern that they could jeopardize the institution’s accreditation. Despite several complaints filed with the municipal commissioner, these issues have reportedly been ignored by the PMC.
Further concerns have been raised about the college’s operational structure. Dhende revealed that the college operates with no permanent staff, relying solely on temporary or ad-hoc appointments, and lacks a clear recruitment policy. Additionally, the college has been accused of charging exorbitant fees — Rs 7.5 lakh annually for general admissions and Rs 22 lakh for management quota seats — without approval from the fee fixation committee, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the fee structure.
“There is no dedicated hospital attached to the college. The PMC has designated Kamla Nehru Hospital as a temporary facility, but it is ill-equipped to handle the increasing patient load,” Dhende added. He criticized the PMC for wasting taxpayer money while depriving students of quality education.
In response to the ongoing issues, Dr. Dhende and social activist Deepak Jadhav have issued an ultimatum to the PMC, demanding reforms within eight days or threatening a large-scale public protest.
Pune Municipal Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, stating, “It is a glaring issue, and we will certainly look into it.”
