Charak Shapath row at Madurai Medical College: Ousted dean reinstated after inquiry, will join duty from today

On Wednesday, May 4, the Dean of Madurai Medical College (MMC), who was removed from his post for administering the Maharishi Charak Shapath to first-year medical students as opposed to the English Hippocratic oath at an induction ceremony, has been reinstated by the Health Department.

Health Minister Ma Subramanian informed that the dean will be joining duty from today, May 5.

Post the oath-taking controversy, the Health Minister conducted a meeting with all the 36 deans of medical colleges on Wednesday, May 4.

While speaking to the reporters, the minister said that the reinstated dean has been given a warning that he should follow instructions of higher officials like the Health Secretary and take decisions. While reinstating him, the government was mindful of the fact that the dean carried out noteworthy work during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Along with Madurai Medical College, Ramanathapuram Medical College and another three colleges have deviated from the traditional Hippocratic oath and an inquiry will be conducted into this, the minister said.

When it comes to the Hippocratic oath, the oath lays emphasis on the doctors' humanity. It states that doctors should treat the poor and needy, and if they are unable to do so, they should seek help from other doctors. They shouldn't deny treatment even to a person who comes at them with a knife if his life is in danger.

But the Maharishi Charak Shapath (oath) states that women who turn up without their husbands or a male companion should be denied treatment; treatment should be denied to disrespectful kings (now Prime Minister/Chief Minister) and to evil people as well.

Several countries follow the Hippocratic oath but in India, confusion has started only recently, said the minister. He also noted that it is a way of imposing Sanskrit, which is unacceptable. Sanskrit is a mother tongue for only around 24,000 people, he added.

It was during the Zero Hour in the Assembly that MH Jawahirullah and GK Mani spoke about the removal of Rathinavel. GK Mani implored for the reinstatement of the dean.

In response, the Health Minister informed that it was a routine process to take the Hippocratic oath. Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan had instructed deans of all medical colleges that only Hippocratic oaths should be administered in medical colleges. He added that after an inquiry (ordered by Chief Minister), it was learnt that the incident at Madurai Medical College took place without the knowledge of the dean.