With 37,000 medical students giving details about their mental health illnesses, worried NMC

With 37,000 medical students giving details about their mental health illnesses, worried NMC

3 min read 12 May 2024, 03:37 PM IST

Priyanka Sharma

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has formed a committee to discuss the alarming issue and draft recommendations.

New Delhi: A staggering 37,000 medical students have told the goverment's medical education authority that they are suffering from potentially risky mental health ailments, alarming the body into prescribing a phalanx of measure including regulated duty hours and suicide watch.

A psychiatrist at the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi described the shocking figures as “the tip of the iceberg."

The National Medical Commission had launched an online survey after finding that 130 medical students had taken their lives in the last five years. In the survey, medical students and faculty submitted details about the mental health illnesses they were suffering from—ranging from crippling anxiety and work pressure to overwhelming stress.

Concerned over the number of students suffering from mental illness, the NMC formed a 15-member committee to discuss the issue and draft recommendations.

Suggestions made by the NMC following the overwhelming response to the online survey include gate-keeper programmes to prevent suicide and for identifying vulnerable students, regulating duty hours for post-grad students, better student facilities, friendlier work environment, and round-the clock professional counselling services.

For national rollout

These recommendations will be submitted to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry this month to be rolled out across medical colleges in the country.

“Some of the universal recommendations which are in discussion includes- adjustment support and orientation in medical colleges for new students to understand their role & duties; facilities in the college; ways to cope up with home sickness; awareness campaigns, celebration of world mental health day, world suicide prevention day and drug prevention day; anti-ragging measures will be strengthened; regulations of duty hours for medical PG students not more than 80 hours a week which is being followed internationally. Currently, PG students are working as much as 100 hours a week without any break," said a government official requesting anonymity.

Addressing concerns

“In addition to it, plans are also in discussion to address concerns of the teachers; strengthening of mentor-mentoring programme. A new initiative—gate-keepers programme—will start to prevent suicide and identify vulnerable students and exclusive 24x7 professionals counselling services will commence to counsel students via government’s tele-manas portal," said the official adding that adding that efforts are being made to make the work environment student-friendly for medical students.

The online survey on mental health issues was divided into four parts in which graduate, post-grad and faculty participated.

“We have received more than 37,000 applications from medical students and faculty which itself indicates that doctors are suffering from mental stress. Most of the students face problems in hostels, and during ragging, which we are streamlining. Our education system for primary and secondary classes are reformed, but there is no work regulation for higher education. For PG students, we have directed states to relax seat leaving bond policy of the state government," said the second official on the condition of anonymity.

Stigma deters

“Every hospital has psychiatric division, but due to stigma students do not report. If a student is under stress whom he will inform first whether peers or else faculty. Strengthening of anti-ragging and anti-sexual harassment measures. In the last 130 medical students have committed suicide equally both in UG and PG classes. This means—25-26 students take their lives every year," added the official.

The committee is devising regulations by evaluating analyzing survey results.

“This is just tip of iceberg. The numbers of doctors suffering from mental health illnesses could be much higher. The data itself says that around 70% of doctors feel burnout. They feel lack of interest going to the workplace, lack of pleasure, lack of motivation and lack of communication among the medical community and acceptability is very poor," said Dr Nand Kumar, professor of psychiatric department at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

Queries sent to the union health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered till press time.

Tamil Nadu: Pharmacies told to not sell 1 ml syringes to strangers to curb drug abuse

Sources say anti-social elements have been known to use painkillers and anaesthetic drugs, which are scheduled drugs that can only be bought with a doctor's prescription.

 COIMBATORE: Pharmacies have been advised to sell 1 and 2 ML syringes that are used by people with diabetes for taking insulin shots only to known customers. The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department's informal instruction aims to curb drug abuse.

However, this is set to inconvenience diabetic patients who regularly take insulin if they can't produce the prescription at a new shop or place.

"The sale of scheduled drugs has almost been regulated and brought under complete surveillance. On the other hand, the police investigation revealed that most insulin syringes are used in drug abuse cases. So we have advised pharmacies not to sell those syringes to unknown people, as they approach pharmacies on the pretext of buying syringes for insulin shots. We are making all the efforts in whatever form we can to prevent drug abuse," said S Gurubharathi, Assistant Director of the Drug Control, Coimbatore zone.

Sources say anti-social elements have been known to use painkillers and anaesthetic drugs, which are scheduled drugs that can only be bought with a doctor's prescription. These drugs are often crushed into powder and mixed with IV fluids before being injected into veins to produce a state of intoxication.

While the constant efforts of the police and the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department have resulted in a reduction in drug abuse incidents, some drugs are still being purchased online or from other states and used for intoxication.

To tackle this issue and prevent drug abuse, the aforementioned department has instructed pharmacies not to sell syringes to unknown or suspicious individuals since most insulin syringes are used in drug abuse cases. This step is crucial to prevent drug abuse, but it can also put patients with diabetes at risk. Patients may only be able to purchase the needle at pharmacies where they are known by the sellers, and buying at a new location may pose trouble.

Diabetic patients are usually prescribed insulin by doctors based on their blood sugar levels. They can take insulin in various ways, such as vials and syringes, insulin pens, or insulin pumps. However, most pharmacies do not sell 6 mm syringes to new customers, which can be frustrating for patients who need to purchase insulin syringes at a new location.

"Taking insulin by injection is the most common practice as it is cost-effective. However, most pharmacies do not sell 1 or 2ml syringes to new customers. Recently, I was supposed to take insulin before lunch. I sent my son to a nearby pharmacy to get a syringe. However, they refused to give it to him. After I went in person and explained my situation and showed the medicine vials, they gave me the syringes. I appreciate the effort in preventing drug abuse but patients will suffer at new places," M Sreedharan, a retired bank employee said.

While it is essential to prevent drug abuse, patients should not be put at risk due to these restrictions. It is important to balance the need to prevent drug abuse with the need to ensure that patients have access to the necessary medical supplies, he added.

Meanwhile, pharmacists have also voiced their concerns about selling syringes to new customers as syringes are often considered evidence by the police in drug abuse cases, which can cause trouble for the pharmacy.

"Anyone can buy the syringes even without a doctor's prescription. But if the usage is unethical, we land in trouble. Also, there is no huge profit in selling such syringes. So we avoid selling them to new people. We only sell them to the existing customers who are known for insulin purchase," said M Kaviarasu, a city-based pharmacist.

NMC task force launches online survey to assess mental health of medical students, faculty

NMC task force launches online survey to assess mental health of medical students, faculty

Disability researcher Dr Satendra Singh questioned on the lack of diversity in representation in the NMC's National task force on mental health.

By Chetana Belagere

Published May 02, 2024 | 7:00 AM ⚊Updated May 02, 2024 | 7:00 AM

NMC has sought for reports from all medical colleges on the number of medicos who have died by suicide. 

Concerned over the deteriorating mental health of medicos, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has launched a nationwide survey on the mental health of medical students.

The online survey aims to tackle increasing instances of depression, ragging, and suicides. The survey questionnaire, a Google form, is widely shared on several online platforms in all colleges.

The survey is part of the NMC’s exercise to uncover stress factors, issues the students fear the most, and how their workload affects them.

Why the survey?

The NMC issued a public notice a week ago, directing all Indian medical colleges to furnish the form by Friday, 3 May.

“Anti-ragging cell in NMC has constituted a National Task Force on mental and well-being of the medical students. The task force has decided to conduct an online survey of medical students as well as the faculty in medical colleges,” the notice by Aujender Singh, Deputy Secretary of the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) and Member Secretary of the national task force, said.

The NMC has promised to keep the participants’ identities confidential. The notice also stated that the task force will use the responses only for analysis and recommendation in its report.

“Individual responses will not be shared publicly,” the notice stated.

Interestingly, the notice also had a disclaimer, saying the data would not be 100 percent secure.

“We have taken appropriate measures to ensure the security of the data collected in this survey. However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic stores is 100 percent sure,” it said.

Depression and suicides

According to reports, 122 medical students — 64 MBBS and 58 post-graduates — have died of suicide over the past five years. Mental health and suicides have been a concern for the entire medical community.

Medical associations lauded the survey. “This is a much-needed initiative to address the burning issue of mental health amongst medical graduates and postgraduates,” the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) posted on X.

“Wheels are turning, we will fight and defeat this demon of mental stress together!” it added.

“It is a much stronger move by NMC to address the mental issues of the medical students and faculty. We appreciate the move,” National Secretary of the FAIMA Doctors Association Dr Rishiraj Sinha said on the social media platform.

Even as many appreciated the NMC initiative, Dr Satendra Singh, Director-Professor at the University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi, and a prominent disability researcher, questioned the lack of diversity in representation in the Commission’s National Task Force.

Speaking to South First, Dr Singh said a research paper published in Dialogues in Health raised a crucial question in January: Who drives the health policy agenda in India?

The study’s conclusion was alarming: Indian health committees from 1943 to 2020 lacked diversity in representation from multiple perspectives, failing to involve the real stakeholders.

Dr Singh had filed applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking details of the representation of stakeholders in the task force responsible for formulating India’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

The task force lacked representation from suicide-attempt survivors, individuals living with mental health conditions, and suicide loss survivors — key stakeholders whose voices should have been heard in framing national guidelines.

“Unfortunately, this oversight has been repeated by the anti-ragging committee of the National Medical Commission, which recently announced a 15-member National Task Force to address suicide concerns among medical students,” Dr Singh explained.

He raised a critical question. “Where are the voices of suicide survivors or those with psychological disabilities in these decision-making processes?”

Another study published in JAMA — American Medical Association’s peer-reviewed journal — found that Asian and Underrepresented Medicine students with multiple disability types faced the highest risk of burnout, with over a three-fold greater risk compared to their white peers without disabilities.

Access to accommodations has been shown to mitigate burnout among students with disabilities. However, unlike the General Medical Council in the UK (Welcomed and Valued), the NMC lacked a clear pathway for requesting accommodations. It indicated a gap in addressing the needs of medical students with mental health conditions.

Dr Singh highlighted a disconnect between the University Grants Commission (UGC)’s accessibility guidelines, Ministry of Education’s Wellness Committees in all colleges, UGC’s Enabling Units and the NMC UG PG guidelines not mentioning reasonable adjustments.

He said that when the forms are analysed and the task force is debating on the recommendations they should have ideally included voices of suicide survivors and those with psychological disabilities.

(Edited by Majnu Babu).

NEET-PG : Supreme Court Dismisses Plea Seeking Extension Of Internship Cut-Off Date For NEET PG 2024

NEET-PG : Supreme Court Dismisses Plea Seeking Extension Of Internship Cut-Off Date For NEET PG 2024

Anmol Kaur Bawa

29 Apr 2024 2:55 PM

The Supreme Court today (April 26) refused to entertain a petition seeking an extension of internship cut-off for the upcoming NEET PG 2024 examinations.

The counsel appearing for the petitioners stressed that non-extension may lead to him losing out on the time and efforts which were put in as a candidate. He urged "My precious year will be at a lost ....eligibility till 15 August is already given."

Seemingly in disagreement to interfere, the CJI remarked, " We cannot extend that. ...I mean people are bound to fall on the side of a particular line when there is a cut-off. "

The bench of CJI Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra dismissed the petition, considering it to be an issue falling strictly within the policy domain. The Court however allowed the petitioners to approach the competent authorities in pursuance of the previous representations which have already been made.

The bench directed the following: "The fixation of a cut-off for appearing in the NEET-PG Examination is a matter of policy. Any cut-off would affect students. It will be open to the Petitioners to pursue the representations within one week."

NEET PG 2024 is scheduled to take place on June 23, 2024. The present cut-off date for internship is August 15, 2024.

Earlier, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking the extension of the internship cut off for the NEET-MDS. Responding to the petition, the Centre informed the Court in March that the cut-off for NEET MDS was extended from March 31 to June 30.

Case Details : RIDDHESH vs. UNION OF INDIA W.P.(C) No. 000263 - / 2024

Fresh MRB notification irks doctors, they demand recruitment of already qualified candidates

Fresh MRB notification irks doctors, they demand recruitment of already qualified candidates

MRB, in a fresh notification issued on March 15, has called for applications for 2,553 vacant posts of assistant surgeons on a temporary basis in the Tamil Nadu Medical Service. The process for submission of applications will take place from April 24 to May 15, with the examination date to be intimated later

March 30, 2024 01:09 am | Updated March 31, 2024 02:17 pm IST - CHENNAI

THE HINDU BUREAU

A section of doctors, who qualified in the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) examination held to recruit 1,021 assistant surgeons last year, is shocked over the board’s new notification to fill 2,553 vacant posts. Instead of holding a fresh examination, the doctors are demanding that candidates who qualified in last year’s examination should be considered for the existing vacant posts.

MRB, in a fresh notification issued on March 15, has called for applications for 2,553 vacant posts of assistant surgeons on a temporary basis in the Tamil Nadu Medical Service. The process for submission of applications will take place from April 24 to May 15, with the examination date to be intimated later.

The previous MRB recruitment process for 1,021 posts saw inordinate delay owing to multiple reasons. The notification was issued in October 2022 and the recruitments were finally completed in February 2024. In between, a number of candidates, who had worked in government hospitals during COVID-19, took the legal route seeking incentive marks that were awarded eventually.

Claiming that the grant of incentive marks affected their prospects in getting a posting, some of the qualified candidates approached the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Health department to increase the number of vacancies notified. The court, in its ruling dated February 14, directed the department to consider the representation of the petitioners and pass appropriate orders within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of the order.

In such a context, the March 15 notification has not gone down well among a section of doctors. Some of the candidates noted that despite the court order, the notification for new examination has been issued and that they have made a representation to the Health department requesting to increase the number of vacancies and fill vacancies from the list of qualified candidates.

“In the MRB examination held in 2018, the average cut-off of an aspirant was 55 for BC, 52.5 for MBC and 50 for SC. There was an increase in the number of aspirants for the past five years, and giving incentive marks for those who worked during COVID-19 affected the prospects of many candidates. For instance, a SC candidate, despite getting 63 marks, did not get a posting. In such circumstances, releasing a new notification indicates that those with merit marks are being ignored,” a qualified candidate said.

A vacancy should not be kept unfilled for a long time as health is an essential service and it directly affects the poor, he said, adding, “Now, they have brought up 2,553 vacancies. A number of posts were kept vacant for more than five years. This breaches the purpose of MRB as outlined by Government Order 1.”

Information furnished under RTI Act by the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine during November 2023 showed there were 1,752 vacancies of assistant surgeons. “When there are 1,752 vacant posts, why not fill accordingly instead of only 1,021 posts. In fact, not all 1,021 posts have been filled. Only around 777 doctors have joined. So there are a good number of posts to which already qualified candidates from the MRB list can be recruited, instead of the fresh notification,” another doctor said.

Another qualified candidate noted that the State government did not conduct the MRB examination for nearly five years as a result of which many candidates were left waiting. “This new notification should be withdrawn,” he added.

An official said all aspects can be looked into only after the elections.

TN MRB Recruitment 2024: Registration for 2553 Assistant Surgeon posts begins on April 24, check eligibility here

TN MRB Recruitment 2024: Registration for 2553 Assistant Surgeon posts begins on April 24, check eligibility here

TOI Education | Mar 18, 2024, 04.59 PM IST

The Tamil Nadu Medical Recruitment Board (TN MRB) has released a notification for recruitment to the post of Assistant Surgeon (General). After activation of the registration link, eligible candidates can apply for the posts on the official website at mrb.tn.gov.in.

As per the schedule, the online application process for TN MRB 2024 will be open from April 24 to May 15, 2024. The recruitment drive aims to fill up a total of 2553 vacancies.

Age Limit

The maximum age limit for candidates as of July 1, 2024, is 37 years. However, there is relaxation in the upper age limit for candidates belonging to reserved categories.

Educational Qualification

The applicants should hold an MBBS Degree.

Selection Process

Candidates will be assessed for selection based on their performance in the Computer Based Test, as well as additional incentive marks granted for their contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The selection process will adhere strictly to the rules of reservation and communal rotation set forth by the Government of Tamil Nadu, along with other conditions outlined in this notification. Subsequently, shortlisted candidates will undergo verification of their original certificates as declared in their online application forms.

Fee

Candidates belonging to the SC/SCA/ST/DAP(PH) category are required to pay a fee of Rs. 500, while candidates from other categories are subject to a fee of Rs. 1000.

Doctor shares 5 points on ‘plight of medical students’ at AIIMS Madurai, says ‘institution is not a big thing anymore’

 Doctor shares 5 points on ‘plight of medical students’ at AIIMS Madurai, says ‘institution is not a big thing anymore’

By Arfa Javaid

Apr 12, 2024 08:41 AM IST

The doctor said that the condition of the students at AIIMS Madurai is the result of “opening so many medical colleges without any basic facilities”.

A doctor took to X to shed light on the challenges faced by medical students at AIIMS Madurai. In his poignant account, Dr Dhruv Chauhan expressed that the reputation of AIIMS doesn’t match the current reality of the institution. He further added that condition of the students is the result of “opening so many medical colleges without any basic facilities”.Dr Dhruv Chauhan expressed that the reputation that AIIMS built over the years doesn’t match the current reality of the institution. The image shows an empty ward (centre) and library with no books except for the first year students (right) at AIIMS Madurai. (X/@DrDhruvchauhan)

“‘AIIMS, the institution name, sounds like a big thing, no? But not anymore!” wrote Chauhan on X.

He also claimed that the medical students went to their director with a request to shift them.

Chauhan further shared the alleged conditions of the students at AIIMS Madurai. According to the post, the wards lack patients for clinical examination, students are not permitted to visit the OPD and OT, five students are forced to share a single room, and there is a crunch of books in the library.

When the students complained to the administration, they were asked why they joined AIIMS Madurai in the first place.

Take a look at the post shared by the doctor below:

“Empty wards in a top institution like AIIMS Madurai. What kind of doctors do you expect will come without patient interaction?” he wrote while sharing a video of an empty ward.

He also shared a video showing the condition of the library in the institution with the caption, “AIIMS Madurai Library, even local street libraries have more books than this. Here, they don’t have anything for 2nd and 3rd year MBBS students!”

The posts, since being shared on April 11, have garnered numerous views and still counting. Many even took to the comments section of the posts to share their thoughts.

“I joined AIIMS Delhi for my residency, and I confess it does give a boost in my interview and bio, including my X (formerly Twitter) bio. I actually did a walk the talk interview after securing the residency for a news portal. Then, after joining, I realised it was just another medical college with a name tag. Now I realise your success as a doctor depends on ‘street smartness’ rather than where you have passed out from,” expressed an individual.

Another added, “This is terrible! Sad state of affairs!”

“This isn’t the story of just AIIMS Madurai, but every new medical college in India. Faculty crunch (Even reputed colleges have a crunch). Lack of Infrastructure. Lack of Equipment. Non-functional IPDs. This is what happens when quantity is prioritized over quality,” wrote a third.

How mushrooming of medical colleges across the country have led to faculty crunch

How mushrooming of medical colleges across the country have led to faculty crunch

TNN | Apr 6, 2024, 12.55 PM IST

After the Parliamentary Standing Committee report published in February 2024 that highlighted severe faculty shortages in medical colleges across the country, several medical associations have highlighted the problems arising in medical colleges due to a lack of faculty. As per the Ministry of Health, the recommended teacher-student ratio must be 1:2 or 1:3, but the situation is said to be far worse.

Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) have recently complained to the higher authorities regarding the deteriorating quality of medical education due to the lack of quality teachers in colleges. The Parliamentary report also invoked concerns about the overall quality of education, pointing to the criticality of the shortage of teachers, demanding immediate attention and reforms by the government.

The faculty shortage in medical colleges in India is due to several reasons, including lack of appointment of teachers, inadequate infrastructure, the appointment of ghost faculty, lack of senior residents, and the reluctance of professors to meet the mandated attendance requirement.

Speaking to Education Times, a Health Ministry official says, “There is a huge faculty shortage in medical colleges across the country. The case is worse in district hospitals and the major problem is the lack of qualified and eligible teachers. MD/MS is the minimum eligibility for these positions, which means it would take at least 9-10 years to get to that level, but the salaries are much less for that post. A candidate must have at least eight years of experience after MD/MS to become a professor, including one year as a Senior Resident (SR), four years as an assistant professor, and three years as an associate professor. “ The government is keen to deal with multiple problems in all the medical colleges, which is a never-ending backlog. Considering the number of posts lying vacant, the government will require a minimum of three years to fill these posts,” adds the official.

"NMC is assessing the medical colleges across the country. It will revoke the licence of medical colleges not adhering to the standards and guidelines regarding the appointment of faculty in a particular department," says the official.

Need for speedy appointments

The problem of lack of faculty in medical colleges in rural areas. Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), recently pointed towards the shortage of postgraduate (PG) guides within the state medical education system. There is reportedly, a shortage of around 1000 assistant, associate professors and professors in Maharashtra government medical colleges.

In a recent letter to Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), Maharashtra, MARD wrote, “The faculty shortage has led to significant challenges for medical students pursuing MD/MS, adversely impacting their academic progress. As per our knowledge, there is a shortage of around 1000 assistant, associate professors and senior professors in all the Government Medical Colleges.”

“The role of PG guides is indispensable in shaping the academic and professional development of medical students pursuing MD/MS. These guides provide crucial mentorship, supervision, and support throughout postgraduate studies. However, the current shortage of qualified and available PG guides has resulted in several problems faced by students and has impacted their synopsis, thesis and research activities,” adds MARD.

Abhijit Rajesh Helge, president, MARD says, “The commissioner and director of DMER confirmed to speed up the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) recruitment.”

The medical colleges in Telangana are reportedly facing a 50% faculty deficit, while in West Bengal as many as 5000 medical professors are missing. To ensure attendance, the Parliamentary Committee has recommended regular inspection of medical colleges and introducing systems where students can report low attendance or ghost faculty. To improve quality, the Committee has also asked the NMC to focus on upskilling teachers by introducing relevant programmes and establishing a dedicated national institute for their training.

Major setback

The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) wrote to the union health minister regarding the UPSC doctor enrolment in December 2023. “ As per the FORDA survey, about 3000-5000 faculty vacancies in medical colleges across the country. In Delhi itself, there are about 200 vacant seats. The government is not advertising for the vacant posts and reservation in the medical profession is a major roadblock behind filling up the vacancies. Often there are no reserved category candidates in the job posting. As a result, the seat has been vacant for years. Apart from this, the government is mostly hiring contractual medical staff. Eligible candidates are not showing interest as there is no job security and they are looking for permanent employment,” said Dr Aviral Mathur, president, FORDA.

Dr Partha Pratim Mandal, RMO, Anaesthesiology department, Calcutta Medical College said, “The super speciality and speciality departments in medical colleges across the state are worst hit due to faculty deficiency. Departments such as Radiology, Anaesthesiology, Paediatric Surgery, and Nephrology lack faculty staff.”

Most doctors in Bengal are not satisfied with their jobs due to random rural posting, bureaucratic lobbying and political syndicates. “The rural hospitals are worst hit due to this. If the government is planning to increase the number of medical colleges in the country with the existing infrastructure, it will just hamper the quality of medical education which has already degraded in recent years. The lack of quality professors has led to a drop in student attendance by 30% as the existing faculties are unable to retain the students,” says Dr Mandal. The situation is worse in district hospitals where the faculties are leaving their jobs disgruntled with their rural posting. Despite repeated requests to get posting in the vicinity of their hometowns, their pleas are unheard by the state health department,” adds Dr Mandal.

Dr Rohan Krishnan, national chairman, FAIMA, says, “Random opening of medical colleges without proper planning of hiring faculty is a major reason behind the shortage. There is about 50% deficiency of medical staff across the country. The government has changed the teacher-student ratio criteria several times to cater medical education to more students but that also did not help. Post-pandemic, the NMC has stopped doing physical inspections of medical colleges encouraging malpractices. Several private colleges have severe staff crises as they are not hiring. The staff shortage has affected the quality of doctors who are not hired anymore by foreign countries, which earlier was not the case. Medical streams such as Cardiology, Medicine where the doctors earn more out of private practice tend to enrol less in medical colleges as faculty, creating a shortage.” More doctors are needed in rural areas where the salary is dismal. The issue of pay parity is yet another reason for problems in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” adds Dr Krishnan.

MBBS Internship : Supreme Court Directs NMC To Submit Details Of Stipend Paid To Interns By Medical Colleges In All States

MBBS Internship : Supreme Court Directs NMC To Submit Details Of Stipend Paid To Interns By Medical Colleges In All States

Gyanvi Khanna

4 Apr 2024 4:12 PM

In a pivotal matter regarding the payment of stipends for doctors undergoing their MBBS internships, the Supreme Court (April 01) issued a clear directive to the National Medical Commission (NMC) to submit details regarding the stipend status of medical colleges across all States.

The Court noted that the NMC has not given the details of the entire medical colleges in all States and hence, the earlier direction given on September 15, 2023, has not been complied with.

In the direction passed on September 15 last year, the Court had asked the NMC to file a tabulated chart and explain (i) whether it is true that 70% of the medical colleges in the country do not pay any stipend to interns or pay an amount that is less than the minimum set stipend (ii) what steps the NMC is taking to ensure compliance with the norm of paying internship stipend.

Taking note of the fact that the NMC has not given the complete details, a bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Prasanna B Varale directed it to do so within four weeks.

During the previous hearing, the Division Bench expressed concerns that medical colleges are not adequately paying the stipend. Justice Dhulia lamented that medical colleges are unprepared to pay stipends despite charging such hefty fees.

“What kind of medical colleges are they? They are charging one crore, I do not know how much they are charging for postgraduate students and they are not prepared to give the stipend also. Either you pay them, or you don't have the internship.,” Justice Dhulia had stated on the previous date.

During the hearing on April 1, Advocate Tanvi Dubey, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that even Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) are not paid a stipend. The Court voiced its discontent and orally observed that FMGs cannot be treated distinctly.

After hearing the submissions, the Court has now posted the matter for a final hearing on May 6, 2024.

Case Title: Abhishek Yadav and others v. Army College of Medical Sciences | W.P.(C) No. 730/2022

Over 240 doctors debarred from NEET PG exam The MCC has collected a seat-leaving penalty of Rs 1.21 crore from these medical students

Over 240 doctors debarred from NEET PG exam The MCC has collected a seat-leaving penalty of Rs 1.21 crore from these medical students

 Shuddhanta.Patra@timesgroup.com 25.03.2024 

A total of 242 doctors who left their seats in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2023 counselling have been debarred from appearing in the upcoming NEET PG 2024 exam, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) stated. The MCC’s statement came as a response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by RTI activist Dr Vivek Pandey. The debarred students are planning to file a PIL to reinstate the opportunity to appear for the NEET exam scheduled in June.

 Speaking to Education Times, a Health Ministry official says, “The MCC rule to disqualify such students has brought down the medical seat wastage under 300 which earlier used to range between 1,000-1,500. These 242 seats will lie vacant for the next three years and each medical seat costs crores of rupees to the government. The seats are blocked as per the candidate’s preference. Despite choosing the seat themselves, when a candidate is giving it up, they are not just giving up their chance to study in that particular medical stream but also not giving a fair chance to other candidates who need the seat. 

Candidates must choose the seats wisely.” Dr Aviral Mathur, president, FORDA, says, “There must be some penalty for students flouting MCC rules but that must not go against the careers of the young doctors. These are the candidates blocking the seats as per their preferences, later changing their minds and not report to the allotted college. They are eventually wiping out the chances for the students who need those seats. The Committee must also rethink the steps considering debarring the students from counselling. The students who are complaining about losing a year must have thought about the outcome before blocking the seats. However, the MCC must contemplate reasonable penalties like increasing the seat-leaving fine or cancelling the candidate’s state quota.” Students’ woes Dr Vivek Pandey says, “A few students approached me regarding this issue, and they wanted the government to remove this debarring criteria if someone is unable to take an allotted seat. 

The MCC is debarring students in the form of punishment because they left their allocated seats after counselling.” APG aspirant from Rajkot, Gujarat, who is one of the 242 doctors debarred from the NEET PG 2024 exam, says, “I scored 5,000 rank in NEET PG 2023, but was not satisfied with the seat I was getting. In the stray round, I gave up my allotted seat since I was looking for an MD in Radiology but instead received an MD in Medicine. This seat was eventually filled in a special stray round. However, I was also not allowed to participate in the special round. My deposit money was forfeited and the allotment letter mentions debarring me from the counselling for NEET PG 2024. 

Since the seat which I left was not wasted, the government’s banning me for a year is not justified.” The MCC has collected an undertaking from the candidates appearing in the special stray vacancy round amounting to Rs 1.21 crore as a penalty for leaving these seats.

NMC caps MBBS batch size to 150 for new medical colleges Fully functional hospitals with 220 beds can now start a 50-seats medical college

NMC caps MBBS batch size to 150 for new medical colleges Fully functional hospitals with 220 beds can now start a 50-seats medical college 

Ayushi.Gupta1@timesgroup.com 

The National Medical Commission (NMC) is focusing on improving the quality of medical education by increasing the number of medical colleges and reducing the batch size for a better teacher-student ratio. In the new medical colleges, the seats can be from 50 to 150 in an MBBS batch. The revised Under Graduate Minimum Standards Regulations (UG-MSR) issued on August 16, 2023, will not be implemented in the old medical colleges that have a batch size of more than 150 to 250 students.

 Talking to Education Times, Dr Aruna V Vanikar, president, Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB), NMC, says, “We have received various inputs from students, faculty and other medical fraternities across the country requesting to cut down the strength of MBBS batches at the medical colleges. The Ministry of Health approved the proposal considering the increasing burden on hospitals and medical faculty. After a wide consultation, NMC has decided to cut down the strength of MBBS batches to only 150 per college.”

 Earlier, the MBBS batches would have as many as 250 students and the classes were crowded. The students were largely impacted during practical sessions in the laboratories. This has been revised to a maximum of 150 seats in the newly set up medical colleges. Dr Vanikar says, “Colleges can start with only 50 seats if they have a functional hospital along with faculty in all the clinical departments. Hospitals must at least have a capacity of 200 beds and 20 ICU beds. The hospitals require a basic setup to conduct classes in the MBBS phase I and phase II. With this, we have made the process of establishing medical colleges simpler for the working hospitals.” 

The UGMSR-2023 focuses on establishing medical colleges with the availability of basic amenities for the students, where they can study and practice during the degree course. The UGMSR-2023 mentioned that medical colleges shall follow the ratio of 100 MBBS seats for 10 lakh population in the states/UTs. By limiting the MBBS seat count in the medical colleges to just 150 and only allowing 100 seats for one million population (10 lakh), NMC wants to avoid the overcrowding of hospitals in the same area. The existing establishment of multiple colleges in the same location ultimately harms the exposure, skills, and clinical knowledge of students due to less or zero footfall.

 “While visiting the colleges, we have come across many students who hold MBBS degrees without any clinical exposure. Clinical training is hampered due to the non availability of medical/clinical equipment,” adds Dr Vanikar. Problem of plenty Earlier in 2020, the Family Adoption Programme (FAP) was made mandatory for the MBBS training curriculum, as it is intended to improve the clinical exposure of the students. Under this programme, each student is assigned at least five families to monitor their health, provide advice on health issues, and accompany them to hospitals for treatment. 

“Some students from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have reported to NMC that they have not received any FAP due to which, their training has suffered. Similarly, in less populated places such as Puducherry, which has seven medical colleges, the students have to fight over the adoption of villages for medical training,” she says. The NMC wants every district to have one medical college. “After the government announced the plan, several states divided a single district into multiple districts only to establish medical colleges without bothering about their maintenance and educational standards.

 The formula of 100 seats for one million population has been drafted to counter such problems,” says Dr Vanikar. Ensuring equal distribution For the population of 140 crore, there are only 1 lakh seats, 40,000 seats can still be established but the NMC is focusing on creating equitable distribution of medical colleges across the country. 

The MSR-2023 guidelines issued by the Under Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) have introduced the policy of annual renewal of recognition for the medical colleges. Dr Vanikar says, “According to the MSR-2020, any society/ organisation/party was permitted to start the college and at the end of five years, colleges were eligible to get recognition from the NMC. The colleges followed a format of annual increase of beds, faculty, and other requirements, which is not in line with the international standards and the Competency Based Medical Education (CBME). The MSR 2023 has replaced the five-year performance-based recognition with an annual renewal system, focusing on equating the quality of education across all medical colleges.

Doctors go beyond the call of duty

 Doctors go beyond the call of duty

Urging people to come forward to donate organs after the death of their dear ones, Nirmala said that she did so because she wanted her husband’s organs to keep functioning in someone else’s body.

Doctors from RGGGH celebrate the birthday of the two-year-old daughter of an organ donor.(Photo | Express)

Sinduja Jane

Updated on: 

16 Mar 2024, 9:11 am

CHENNAI : In a heart-warming gesture, a group of doctors from the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital celebrated the second birthday of the daughter of an organ donor. The 26-year-old man’s organs were donated by his young wife recently after he was declared brain dead. According to doctors at the RGGGH, the youngster met with a road accident on March 4 and was brought to the hospital the next day after treatment at two different hospitals. He was declared brain dead on March 6. Keeping her grief aside, his wife came forward to donate his organs. Then doctors retrieved his organs on March 7 and the body was handed over to the family after an honour walk led by Dr E Theranirajan, Dean, RGGGH.

Speaking to TNIE, S Nirmala, wife of the deceased, said, “I felt so emotional when I saw them. Around 20 doctors came to our house with so many gifts and cake. I felt as if my husband sent them to celebrate our daughter’s birthday.”

Recounting the day she was completing formalities after her husband’s death, Nirmala said that she had told Dr Gomathi Karmegam, associate professor, Emergency Medicine, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, that her daughter would turn two on March 12 and her father would not be there to celebrate her birthday. “Then the doctor asked if they could come home. They came as a group all the way to Tiruttani. I have no words to express my joy; they came at a time when we were in so much pain,” said Nirmala.

Urging people to come forward to donate organs after the death of their dear ones, Nirmala said that she did so because she wanted her husband’s organs to keep functioning in someone else’s body. “His eyes and heart should be functioning. I feel happy to realise it. Organs are going to go to waste if not donated, so why not gift someone. I wanted my husband to live longer in someone’s body, that is the only reason I immediately agreed to organ donation,” said the MBA graduate who is on a job hunt. “My husband was the only breadwinner of his family, now I have to search for a job and take care of my in-laws and my daughter,” added Nirmala.

Internships cancelled, 125 MBBS students asked to vacate hostels

Internships cancelled, 125 MBBS students asked to vacate hostels

Mar 14, 2024, 04.24 AM IST

Gurgaon: A total of 125 MBBS students of ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Faridabad have been asked to vacate their hostel rooms without any notice after their internship proposals were cancelled.

At any govt medical college, MBBS students must work as interns if they apply for an MD or higher degree course. Following a protest by the students, the dean of the college said they could not be considered for internships because they were not registered with the medical association yet.

On March 1, the academic branch issued internship orders after the graduates passed their MBBS exam but withdrew it within a few hours.

Deputy dean Dr Anil Kumar Pandey said that the internships were given to graduating students during the pandemic upon instructions from the Haryana Medical Council.

“That was a time of crisis. But now that we are returning to normalcy, we cannot continue with the same. The council in Sept 2023 released an order restricting the practice. From this batch, we are adopting the standard method of approving internship applications only after registration. The academic branch mistakenly issued the letter, but it was soon withdrawn,” said Dr Pandey.

“All our seniors were allowed to go straight to internships after their degrees. Why are we being discriminated against? They are making us leave our lodging too. We were never told about any new rule of discontinuing the internship,” a student said

Pandey mentioned that the college facilitates registration process with the state medical council, so that students don’t have to travel to Panchkula.

He added, “The students wrongly mentioned that they were registered with the state medical council in their grievance letter. They need to obtain the provisional registration receipt to be considered as practitioners.”

The management said that since the protesting alumni haven’t registered themselves as practitioners yet, they are neither students at the college nor interns. Therefore, they cannot be allowed to stay in the hostel. “Once they register, they will be allotted interns’ hostel on application, which we have made about 500m away from the campus,” the official said.

Pandey added that by Wednesday morning, 70 graduates had submitted their documents for approval, which will be facilitated by the college.

NMC: 314 medical colleges to start new PG Medical courses, 104 to increase intake

NMC: 314 medical colleges to start new PG Medical courses, 104 to increase intake

Posted on 13 Mar 2024
13:11 PM

Summary

A total of 314 medical colleges will be starting new post-graduate courses, while the number of seats will be increased at a total of 104 medical colleges of the country in the academic year 2024-25

10 medical colleges have also requested the National Medical Commission to withdraw their application regarding the start of new post-graduate medical courses

The National Medical Commission, in two separate notifications on March 11 and 13, has released a list of medical colleges where new postgraduate medical courses will commence from the academic year 2024-25.

The list also contains the names of the medical colleges across the country where the number of students intake will be increased from the upcoming academic year.

As per the two notifications, a total of 314 medical colleges will be starting new post-graduate courses, while the number of seats will be increased at a total of 104 medical colleges of the country in the academic year 2024-25.

"With reference to applications received from Medical Institutions to start or increase of PG medical courses/seats for the Academic Year: 2024-25, it is informed that communications in respect of 204 online applications have been sent through the email IDs (as mentioned in online applications) to the Medical Institutions/Colleges concerned for information and necessary action by them within the stipulated timeline," said the March 11 notification.

"In continuation of MARB’s Public Notice of even number dated 11th March 2024 and with reference to applications from medical institutions for start or increase of PG courses/seats, it is informed that communications in respect of 214 more online applications (for starting of New PG Medical courses and Increase of seats in PG Medical courses for the Academic Year: 2024-25) have been sent through the email IDs (as mentioned in online applications) to the Medical Institutions/Colleges concerned for information and necessary action by them within the stipulated timeline," said the March 13 notification.

Apart from the increase in number of seats and starting of new courses, 10 medical colleges have also requested the National Medical Commission to withdraw their application regarding the start of new post-graduate medical courses for the academic year 2024-25.

TN may seek permission for new medical colleges

 TN may seek permission for new medical colleges 

Guidelines Will Come Into Effect From 2025: NMC

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK Chennai : 

The state health department will push for new medical colleges as 2023 regulations by National Medical Commission’s undergraduate medical education board, limiting number of medical seats in a state based on population, are likely to be deferred by at least two years. The ‘guidelines for undergraduate courses under the establishment of new medical institutions, starting of new medical courses, and increase of seats for existing course and assessment and rating regulation 2023’ published in the Gazette of India on Aug 16 had two major decisions. 

First, the number of MBBS seats in a college was capped at 150. Second, colleges were asked to follow the ratio of 100 MBBS seats for 10 lakh population in that state or UT. This means Tamil Nadu, with a population of a little more than 8 crore and more than 10,000 seats in more than 70 medical colleges, cannot apply for more colleges. After opposition from states, NMC said the guidelines would be implemented only from 2025. “The window for fresh applications was too short. When we were told it would be deferred for at least two years, we started preparing for fresh applications,” a senior TN directorate of medical education official said. In 2022, Tamil Nadu opened 11 new medical colleges but, over the past two years, hasn’t opened any new institution. Nor did it add more seats to existing govt medical colleges. Now, health department officials say, TN is keen on a policy to have at least one new medical college in every district. Soon, govt will apply for new colleges at Tenkasi, Mayiladuthurai, Tirupathur, Perambalur, Ranipet, Kancheepuram and Kallakurichi. 

“Land parcels have been identified in some districts already. We will be applying for sanctions from the finance department before applying to NMC for permission,” a senior health department official said. Applications will be sent for starting these colleges in a year or two. While senior doctors and doctors’ body including Indian Medical Association and TN Govt Doctors’Associ-ation backed NMC stating TN had already achieved the doctor-patient ratio, health secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi had earlier told TOI that the state has a policy of establishing a medical college in every district to ensure equal distribution of doctors and tertiary care facilities. 

“Also, why should we look at Tamil Nadu data alone? The country needs more doctors. If Chennai can work well as a medical hub for the rest of India, doctors from here can work in other states too. When we have the facilities and requirements we must be permitted to start new facilities,” he said