Madurai Medical College: Student council owes up to choosing Charak Shapath; govt doctors' demand reinstatement of dean

Just a day after Dr A Rathinavel, Dean, Government Madurai Medical College (GMMC) was removed from his post because first years were administered the Charak Shapath (oath) in Sanskrit as opposed to the conventional Hippocratic oath in English during their induction ceremony, members of the GMMC student council on Monday, May 2, said they had chosen the oath and the college administration was in no way responsible for it.

VM Jothish, state council president, addressed media persons and stated that they had chosen the Charak Shapath based on a recent circular from the National Medical Commission (NMC), without consulting the college administration.

"Moreover, the freshers vowed to the English translation of the Charak Shapath, and not the Sanskrit version. The Union or State governments had neither insisted on nor objected to taking the Charak oath, until the State government issued a new circular on Sunday," he added.

The student council members later met District Collector Dr S Aneesh Sekhar and briefed him on the incident.

"Reinstate him"
On the other hand, on Monday, Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association members made clear their stand against the use of Charak Shapath, and also conveyed the same to the NMC.

"However, Undergraduate Medical Education Board President Dr Aruna V Vanikar had instructed medical colleges to use the Charak oath during the white-coat ceremony, and also, a recent NMC circular had insisted on it. Accordingly, students in several medical colleges took the oath this year. Dean Rathinavel was not responsible for the GMMC incident and we demand the authorities reinstate him," they said in a statement.