NMC plans 3-month residency for PG students at dist hosps

PG MEDICAL REGULATIONS

NMC plans 3-month residency for PG students at dist hosps

The Rotation Will Take Place In The 3rd, 4th Or 5th Semester

Bharat.Yagnik@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad:  06.08.2021 

In a move to ensure availability of specialist doctors in rural areas, the National Medical Council (NMC) proposes to make it compulsory for all medical students pursuing MD or MS to undergo posting for three months at district hospitals.

The Draft Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations 2021 by NMC proposes to introduce a new district residency programme for all PG students as part of their medical course curriculum.

It proposes the new programme to be implemented with the PG (broad specialty) batch that has joined for the postgraduate course in 2021.

There are a total of 1,874 PG medical seats in Gujarat.

“About 40% of posts for MD/ MS doctors at district hospitals are vacant. They will get a major relief with the government’s new move,” said an expert in the medical education field.

The main objectives of the District Residency Programme (DRP) include exposure of the postgraduate student to district health system and involving them in healthcare services being provided at the district hospital for serving while learning, the draft states.

It also aims to acquaint them with the planning, implementation, monitoring and assessment of outcomes of the National Health programmes at the district level.

All postgraduate students pursuing MD/MS in broad specialties in all medical colleges/ institutions under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 shall undergo a compulsory residential rotation of three months in district hospitals/ district health system as a part of the course curriculum, according to the draft. “Such rotation shall take place in the 3rd or 4th or 5th semester of the postgraduate programme. This rotation shall be termed as ‘District Residency Programme’ (DRP) and the postgraduate medical student undergoing training shall be termed as a ‘District Resident’,” it says.

During this rotation, the District Resident will be posted with the concerned/aligned specialty team/unit at the district hospital, and will be trained under the overall guidance of the district specialists. The District Resident will work under the overall directions and supervision of the District Residency Programme Coordinator (DRPC). The clinical responsibilities assigned to the ‘district residents’ would include serving in outpatient, inpatient, casualty and other areas pertaining to their specialty, and will encompass night duties.

The National Medical Commission shall constitute a National Steering Committee in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India to oversee the implementation of the District Residency Programme.

The National Steering Committee shall establish a National Coordination Cell (NCC) under the National Medical commission which shall be responsible for the smooth and efficient implementation of the District Residency Programme and grievance redressed at national level, according to the draft.