Fact Check: Health Ministry is NOT conducting online counselling for PG medical seats

A letter is doing the rounds on social media with claims that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) will conduct online counselling and allot seats in postgraduate medical courses. The circular, addressed to Chief Secretaries of all the states and Union Territories, carries the signature of Preeti Sudan, Secretary, MoHFW.

The letter states that the Directorate General of Health Services will conduct online counselling for allotment of seats in MD, MS, Diploma and MDS courses.

The Directorates General of Health Services, Government of India, New Delhi has encrusted with responsibility to Conduct Online counselling for allotment of Post Graduate (MD/MS/Diploma and MDS) seats to eligible and qualified candidates as per the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India," reads the letter dated June 27, 2020.

Union Health Ministry refutes the letter as fake

As the letter was being circulated widely on different social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, the Union Health Ministry did not waste any time in issuing a clarification regarding the same. The MoHFW denied releasing in any such circular and also cleared the air about the online counselling and allotment of seats in postgraduate medical courses.

Taking to Twitter, the MoHFW said, "A letter is circulating on social media reg online counselling & PG seat allotment, allegedly written by Health Secy to all States. This is FAKE NEWS. No such letter is written by the Health Ministry."

Besides, the Fact Check wing of the Centre's Press Information Bureau (PIB) also dubbed the letter as fake and stated that the Union Health Ministry is neither conducting online counselling nor allotting seats in postgraduate courses at the moment.

The official Twitter handle of PIB Fact Check, which regularly counters misinformation on social media, issued a statement in this regard that read, "Claim- A Letter circulating allegedly from Health Ministry to Chief Secretaries of all states, regarding online counselling & PG seat allotment. #PIBFactCheck- The letter is #Fake. No such letter has been issued by Health Ministry."

Therefore, the news that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will conduct online counselling for allotment of seats in MD, MS, Diploma and MDS courses is false.