REPORT IN CNN APRIL 5

Medical seats for sale: Dinesh Trivedi says more than $30 billion involved

New Delhi: Former MoS health minister Dinesh Trivedi has said that every year more than $30 billion is involved in the medical seats' scam. He also claimed that politicians were controlling 100-odd colleges which were putting their PG medical seats on sale. Trivedi was speaking to IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai. Former member of the Dental Council of India Dr Usha Mohandas was also a part of the debate.

Following is the transcript of an excerpt from the debate:

Rajdeep Sardesai: The minister (Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad) has said it's for the MCI to act, I would like to see action, but the MCI is an autonomous organisation. Isn't this passing the buck? Shouldn't the government of India act when people are caught on tape, seeking money for PG seats actually act to clean up the system?

Dinesh Trivedi: Ultimately whose responsibility is it? It is the responsibility of the government, you cannot say that they are an autonomous body, take away their autonomy. You are asking the corrupt system to clean its corruption. The total amount involved is more than $30 billion every year. The big money goes to 100 colleges, $30 billion.

Rajdeep Sardesai: And most of them are controlled by politicians?

Dinesh Trivedi: Yes, it is all politicians. It is the job of the government to create capacity whether in terms of hospitals or in terms of medical colleges, You just have many medical colleges, just like you've done for engineering colleges. Now there are no capitation fees. This is the gap that is created purposely kept.

Usha Mohandas: It is a kind of well-established cartel. It is a beautiful network. The world can learn a lot from how strong this networking has been established for a wrong purpose. I would want the ministry to take absolute responsibility because the process of started and ending this is with the ministry, the other people in between are just via media. The ministry cannot wash its hands off and say that these are autonomous. If you ask the regulatory, they say we don't know anything you know, the minister asks us to do the same. This passing of the buck has to end.

LINK HERE