9 medical certificates of 5 doctors under lens at Panjab University

It has been raining medical certificates at the departments of Panjab University (PU) these days as this is the time when roll numbers are being distributed for taking exams. Nine medical certificates by five doctors have come under scanner so far.

A team of doctors under chief medical officer of PU health centre, Dr Devinder Dhawan, took a call on validity of these medical certificates.

75% attendance is mandatory in all the subjects. The medical certificate helps one in getting a relaxation in lectures. About 40 to 50 medical certificates are being submitted on a daily basis, according to PU health department.

Medical certificates under scanner

Five medical certificates of a Sector 38 west based doctor, Dr Romesh Kumar Sofat, are under scanner for issuing these for different days for viral fever. In the first case, seven days medical certificate has been issued, while in the second case it is for 20 days for viral. For another student claiming to be suffering from viral fever, it is for eight days and in fourth and fifth case, it is for five days each. No one picked up the telephone at the numbers provided on the prescription slip of Dr Sofat.

Doctors at PU say that when a number of medical certificates are from the same doctor they get suspicious.Two more medical certificates, one of a doctor in Sector 44 and another from Ambala came under scanner on Tuesday. When the doctors at the health centre called up the Ambala doctor, he said it was not for eight weeks but for three weeks for backache. The medical certificate submitted by the student had been sent back to him.

Till the medical certificates are not accepted the concerned students would not get any relaxation in attendance shortage. The doctors at PU had also rejected a medical certificate issued by a Nabha-based radiologist for Prolapsed Intervertibral Disc (PIVD) this semester. The student then produced medical certificate from another doctor. The doctors have now reported the matter to the higher authorities.

It also pointed out a case of private hospital issuing medical certificate to a student for severe depression over three semesters, including this session also. The doctors questioned why the patient was not being referred to hospital like PGI, Chandigarh, when the concerned doctor could not treat it for over three semesters.

Earlier also, a number of fake medical certificates have come to light at PU. The issue was highlighted in the same columns in HT as students even submitted apology for providing fake medical certificates because a lot had been prepared by the same doctor.

Though Dean University Instructions (DUI) have issued clear cut guidelines that when students join back the department, they have to submit medical certificate within seven days, yet they have not been adhered to. The medical certificates are being submitted towards the end of the semester.

Strap Desperate measures 75% attendance is mandatory in all subjects to get the roll number for exams and 40 to 50 medical certificates are being submitted on daily basis, says PU health department.