What’s NExT for medicos? What is the National Exit Test?

 What’s NExT for medicos? What is the National Exit Test? NExT refers to the final year medical undergraduate examination. Nandimath O V Dr Alexander Thomas Last Updated 27 February 2024, 02:59 IST 

Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/whats-next-for-medicos-2911251

Medical Colleges Charge Rs 1 Crore But Won't Pay Stipend To MBBS Interns? Either Pay Them Or Don't Have Internship:

Medical Colleges Charge Rs 1 Crore But Won't Pay Stipend To MBBS Interns? Either Pay Them Or Don't Have Internship:

 Supreme Court Gyanvi Khanna 26 Feb 2024 9:18 PM Listen to this Article The Supreme Court on Monday (February 6) expressed concerns at the complaints of MBBS interns that medical colleges are not adequately paying them stipend. A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Prasanna B Varale was hearing a batch of writ petitions filed by medical students. Justice Dhulia orally

https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/supreme-court-middle-income-group-legal-aid-society-executive-committee-resignation-senior-advocates-250556?infinitescroll=1

Colleges allowed to raise MBBS seats illegally, Delhi cops probe ‘scam’

Colleges allowed to raise MBBS seats illegally, Delhi cops probe ‘scam’

TNN | Feb 24, 2024, 07.10 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police is learnt to be investigating at least two senior officials of the National Medical Commission (NMC) and four medical colleges in connection with an alleged scam in which certain colleges were permitted to increase the number of seats in MBBS, MD and other courses in an illegal manner.

The scam involved colleges seeking to increase their capacity being “allowed” to do so on the strength of “letters of permission” which were forged but were made to appear genuine by the use of official email id through which the institutions concerned were intimated. Those involved also made changes on the website to make the permissions appear genuine.

Delhi Police is likely to make arrests soon, a senior cop said.The cops suspect a quid pro quo, mostly monetary consideration, was happening in return for an increase in seats. “However, the details can be confirmed only after arrests are made and suspects are interrogated,” said another official privy to the investigation.

The fraudulent activity was detected by the commission last August after which it revoked the permission letters and carried out an inquiry. It also filed a complaint with police, the source added.

Police then filed an FIR under IPC’s sections pertaining to criminal conspiracy and cheating besides Section 66C of the Information Technology Act.

In his complaint, AK Singh, deputy secretary at the medical assessment & rating board (MARB) of the commission, reported that forged Letters of Permission (LOPs) were issued to various medical colleges through the official email ID (ds.marb@nmc.org.in), which belongs to an official of the rank of deputy secretary who had been earlier looking after the affairs at MARB.

The official concerned was shocked when he, during the course of an internal inquiry, was told about the letters he had purportedly sent allowing the colleges to increase the intake of students for various courses. The probe also revealed that another official had changed the website to suggest that the “permissions” were genuine.

The commission subsequently issued a notice last year in August asking colleges to not consider these permission letters as valid.

In their communication, which was also published on their website, NMC said: “It has come to the notice of MARB that a forged/fake letter has been issued to a college regarding renewal of permission for MBBS course on behalf of member/president, MARB whereas another three letters dated 12.07.2023 and 13.07.2023 were issued to another college for increase of seats in MS-Ophthalmology for 5 to 10 seats, MD-General Medicine from 7 to 24 and MS-ENT for 1 to 4 seats.”


“It is clarified that the said letters have not been issued by the member/president, MARB. These letters are forged/fake and cannot be considered as valid permission from MARB. The above facts are brought to the notice of all stakeholders and the general public to not take any action based on the fake/forged letter. Appropriate action is being taken in accordance with the law,” the notice further read.

38 medicos suspended for making reels inside hospital in Karnataka

38 medicos suspended for making reels inside hospital in Karnataka

The video went viral and many people who watched videos said that the hospital is not a place for such things as hundreds of patients are under treatment there.

The final year medical students recently celebrated an annual day function and they have made a reel of Kannada and Hindi songs and uploaded the same on social media.(Representative image)

Raghottam Koppar

Updated on:

11 Feb 2024, 7:27 am

GADAG: The Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) has ordered temporary suspension of 38 final year medical students after their reels shot inside the hospital went viral on social media platforms. The final year medical students recently celebrated an annual day function and they have made a reel of Kannada and Hindi songs and uploaded the same on social media.

The video went viral and many people who watched videos said that the hospital is not a place for such things as hundreds of patients are under treatment there.

The videos of medical students dancing to Hindi song ‘Tu cheez hai mast mast’ and Kannada song ‘Ranadheera’ are viral on social media and netizens commented that the students disturbed hundreds of patients while making reels and the medical students could have done the same in other places. Several students wore stethoscopes and acted like doctors and some wore bandages to make the reels.

Tirunelveli MCH admin accused of leaving expectant, new mothers without food

Tirunelveli MCH admin accused of leaving expectant, new mothers without food

While speaking to pregnant women, currently admitted or recently discharged from TvMCH, several of them also alleged disparity in distribution of food in the wards.

Patients at the TvMCH alleged they raised complaints with the doctors regarding the improper supply of food in vain.

V Karthik Alagu

Thinakaran Rajamani

12 Feb 2024, 9:29 am

TIRUNELVELI: A few of the expectant and new mothers, who are admitted to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH), alleged that the hospital administration has not been providing them with proper food, thereby forcing them to spend huge sums (almost equalling the expense one might incur at a private hospital) on purchasing potentially unhygienic food from outside hotels.

While speaking to pregnant women, who are either currently admitted or were recently discharged from TvMCH, several of them also alleged disparity in distribution of food in the wards.

Speaking to TNIE, a new mother said, "Every day, a supplier would bring idli and sambar to the wards in the early hours. Later, around 11 am, he will bring milk, bread, eggs, and bananas, and around 1 pm, he distributes lunch, which includes rice, sambar and a limited amount of vegetable poriyal. However, not all expectant and new mothers, other than those who fight for it with the supplier, receive this food. For instance, I have not received food at the hospital for a single day, in spite of having spent several days here in three different wards, before and after my delivery."

Whereas, another new mother said that she had managed to get two idlis with sambar every morning, and a ladle of meal with sambar in the afternoon before her delivery.

"However, after my C-Section, I could not get food as I was unable to run towards the 'fast-moving' supplier, who always offered the food after scolding me briefly for no reason. Also, I have never got items like eggs, bread or banana, which are usually served to the housekeepers of the hospital, for my meal."

She further alleged that raising complaints with the duty doctors regarding the improper supply of food were in vain.

"My parents had brought me to TvMCH as we did not have enough money to approach a private hospital. Ironically, in TvMCH, my mother spends at least Rs 225 for food daily, as we are forced to buy it from outside hotels. On several days, I had to have only a vada and coffee for breakfast. Some other days, my mother even had to borrow money to purchase food," she rued, adding that the duty doctors never asked her if she was provided with nutritious food during the consultation period.

It may be noted that TvMCH has witnessed a total of 8,238 deliveries in 2021, 7,889 in 2022 and 6,401 in 2023 (till November), as stated in a RTI reply sought by A Veronica Mary, a health activist.

When contacted by TNIE, TvMCH dean Revathy Balan denied all the said allegations and claimed that the administration has been serving food properly to pregnant women and new mothers in the wards.

“Some parents may prefer home-made food like non-veg soup for their children, who are under treatment at our hospital. However, we serve food to all patients as per the menu fixed by the state government. We even take a sample to ensure if the food tastes good or not,” she said.

Meanwhile, an RTI reply given by TvMCH administration to M Sugan Christoper of Melaputhaneri, stated that the hospital has spent Rs 1.87 crore in 2018-19, Rs 1.4 crore in 2019-20, Rs 1.66 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 1.58 crore in 2021-22 (till September) to supply food to all the in-patients under treatment.

"Idli and sambar in the morning, milk, egg, bread, banana and orange at 9 am, meal (rice, sambar, buttermilk, keerai, cabbage and poriyal) in the afternoon, milk and sundal at 4 pm, and rava kichadi and bottlegourd poriyal in the night, were supplied to in-patients as on September 13, 2022," the RTI reply from the Public Information Officer of TvMCH read.

Five children born deaf can now hear, thanks to just one injection

Five children born deaf can now hear, thanks to just one injection

Six children who were born deaf were given a revolutionary gene therapy treatment in the form of an injection in the ear. Now, five of them have regained their hearing.

Written by Sethu Pradeep

Kochi | Updated: January 27, 2024 10:09 IST

The snail-shaped cochlea of the inner ear (Katelyn Comeau/Harvard Medical School)

After receiving an experimental treatment consisting of an injection into the ear, six children who were born deaf can now hear. The researchers behind the novel gene therapy approach believe that it may be useful in other treatments as well.

The research was conducted in Fudan, China but the team was co-led by Harvard Medical School researchers at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear. They treated six children between the ages of one and seven suffering from a type of inherited deafness. This was caused by the mutation of the OTOF gene, which manufactures a protein that plays an important role in transmitting signals from the ear to the brain.

Over the course of the 26-week trial, five of the six children showed signs of improved hearing, with the researchers describing four of the outcomes as “robust,” according to Harvard Medical School. The results of the study were published in the journal Lancet on Wednesday. Hearing ability is a critical factor in language learning. For the study, the researchers also measured speech perception, which is the ability to recognise sounds as speech. All five of the children who responded showed improvement there.

“This really opens the door to developing other treatments for different kinds of genetic deafness,” said co-senior author Zheng-Yi Chen in a press statement. Chen is an HMS associate professor of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, and a researcher at Mass Eye and Ear’s Eaton-Peabody Laboratories.

The OTOF gene is responsible for the otoferlin protein, which is produced by cells in the snail-shaped part of the inner ear called the cochlea. The cochlea is the place where sound waves are translated into electric pulses carried to the brain by nerve cells. Otoferling helps transmit pulses from cochlear cells to nerves. Without it, sound would be translated to electric signals but they would never reach the brain.

The OTOF gene mutation the children had is an attractive target for gene therapy because it is a relatively simple condition caused by a single mutation. It also involves no physical damage to the cochlear cells.

When the researchers requested for study partners, they received a large response of 425 potential participants. According to Chen, this reflects the need for improved treatment for such congenital deafness that has no approved drugs. After screening the participants, the researchers enrolled just six at the end.

Among the six, four children had cochlear implants. With training, these implants allowed for the interpretation of speech and sound. The youngest two participants were aged one and two and had no implants. And when the implants were switched off, all the participants were completely deaf.

The procedure used by the researchers called for the gene to be inserted into the cochlea using a type of virus often used for this kind of treatment. The virus will insert the gene into the DNA of the target cells, causing them to manufacture the missing protein. But there was a problem — the OTOF gene was too big for the virus to hold.

They got past this problem by dividing the gene into two and then containing the halves in two different viruses. After that, they injected the mixture with both halves of the gene into the cochlea. Even though the viruses inserted the gene halves into different spots on the cells’ DNA, cellular machinery assembled the complete protein when the halves were expressed.

This special mixture was injected into the fluid of the inner ear, and from there, the viruses made their way to the target cells just like you would expect in a normal injection. The researchers and the participants waited for four to six weeks in each case to see the first signs of hearing being restored.

Five of the six participants displayed signs of progressive improvement. When the three older children had their cochlear implants turned off, they could understand and respond to speech by 26 weeks, with two among them able to recognise speech in a noisy room and even have a telephone conversation. The youngest children also showed improvements but they were too young for the tests.

Only one of the participants showed no signs of improvements. The researchers are not entirely sure about the cause, but they say it may have been because of an immune reaction to the viral vector.

© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd

First uploaded on: 27-01-2024 at 09:32 IST

After flip flops on NExT, NMC now seeks public feedback on the medical test’s feasibility

After flip flops on NExT, NMC now seeks public feedback on the medical test’s feasibility

National Medical Commission has asked students, faculty and institutions whether a single test can replace final year MBBS exams & entrance test for PG seats in medical colleges.

SUMI SUKANYA DUTTA

26 January, 2024 06:32 pm IST

New Delhi: Last year saw several flip flops by the National Medical Commission (NMC) over when the National Exit Test (NExT) — a singular qualifying examination to replace three existing exams in the field of medicine — should be implemented.

But the apex medical education regulator now seems unsure about the basic premise of the test and has sought feedback from students, faculty members and institutions on whether a single test can replace the final year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) exams and entrance test for post-graduate (PG) seats in medical colleges.

The NMC Act of 2019 envisaged NExT as a singular qualifying examination to replace three existing exams in the field of medicine — the final MBBS exams, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for post-graduate seats (NEET-PG), and the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) for foreign medical graduates to practice medicine in India.

The Act stated that qualifying in NExT shall be a must — within three years of the Act getting notified — for every MBBS pass out to receive a license to practice medicine in India.

But in a public notice issued this week, the NMC has sought opinions from stakeholders on the NExT regulations issued last year which were later withdrawn at the behest of the Union health ministry following an outcry from students.

In an accompanying form, the stakeholders have been asked basic questions such as whether the NExT exam should replace the conventional MBBS final year exam or if the NMC should hold separate tests in addition to the MBBS final year exam.

The NMC also wants the stakeholder to share whether the NExT exam can serve as a qualifying exam for MBBS final year students, licensing and admission to the PG course, apart from their opinion on whether the exam should be held in retrospective or prospective manner.

Last year, the NMC had announced that from 2024 onwards, the NExT exam would be conducted twice a year, meaning that the 2019 batch of MBBS students would have to clear it to get their degrees. This decision sparked an outcry from 2019 batch students and their parents, who filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court, arguing that it was unfair to subject their batch to the NExT, as the NMC Act was passed after they had taken admission in medical colleges.

Later, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the exam would not be held in 2024 and that the government would refrain from taking any decisions regarding NExT that could cause “confusion”.

His ministry also pointed out to the NMC several discrepancies in the NExT regulations, directing it to issue a fresh notification.

A senior NMC official who did not wish to be named said the latest initiative was aimed at understanding why the popular opinion is that the NExT should not be held.

“Unless we seek consultation from the stakeholders, we will not understand their point of view,” the official told ThePrint.

ThePrint reached NMC spokesperson Dr Yogender Malik for comment over phone. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.

Dr Aviral Mathur, president of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) — an association of resident doctors from across the country — told ThePrint that the latest NMC notice “was a long time coming”.

Meanwhile, Dr Karan Juneja, standing committee member of the IMA’s junior doctors’ division said that if NExT is implemented, it should be done with prior information, planning and changes in academic pattern.

NMC plans to control ghost faculty, boost infrastructure in medical colleges with new regulations

NMC plans to control ghost faculty, boost infrastructure in medical colleges with new regulations

TNN | Jan 26, 2024, 03.24 PM IST

To improve the medical education system and uplift the standard of hospitals, the National Medical Council (NMC) has asked all the government and private medical institutions to follow the “minimum standard of requirements” for postgraduate courses (PGMSR, 2023). A notice was issued by the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB), NMC to control the irregularities in several private and government hospitals associated with medical colleges.

Speaking to Education Times, Aujender Singh, deputy secretary, NMC, says, “The recent norms have been introduced to improve quality of medical education. It has come to NMC’s notice that several colleges lack infrastructure and logistics required for post graduate medical education. NMC will take action against those medical colleges found not fulfilling the necessary criteria. The PGMEB will assess the medical colleges at regular intervals. The NMC has introduced a monetary penalty of Rs 1 crore, for medical colleges that fail to adhere to norms and standards set by the Commission.”

NMC has decided to bar the medical faculties to practise privately to make them focus on hospital operations and reduce the burden on the PG students. “It has come to our notice that several medical college hospitals are being run by PG students as the senior doctors appointed as the faculty are largely absent from work as they practise privately.”

A senior health ministry official says the new rules will strengthen the quality of medical education in private colleges where ghost faculty are ruling the roost. “NMC guidelines mandates full-time faculty who can’t engage in private practice during college hours. It is mandatory to have at least 75% attendance for the senior faculty. In private medicate colleges the doctors are found absent from classrooms as many of them visit hospitals, sign the attendance register and leave to attend their private clinics,” he says.

“NMC has also made it compulsory for medical colleges to have 80% beds occupied throughout the year. Some of the private medical colleges with high fees were found with less occupied beds,” the senior official adds. Occupancy of beds in hospitals and inflow of patients are important for medical students. “This gives hands-on learning experience. This is particularly important for students in private colleges where patients are less due to high cost,” he adds.

According to NMC, minimum 15% of the total beds should be ICU/HDU (High Dependency Unit). Average daily out patient department (OPD) attendance should also not be less than 60 in general medicine.

The colleges offering programmes in PG medicine must have five departments including biochemistry, pathology, microbiology, radio-diagnosis, and anaesthesiology. “The biochemistry, pathology, microbiology labs are necessary for undergraduate students of second and third year. Some colleges were founded lacking in the necessary laboratory infrastructure and departments without which medical education remains incomplete. Following which the new norms were established,” he added.

Infrastructure and faculty

According to NMC’s ‘minimum standard of requirements’, the hospital building shall follow the existing national building norms and various local statutory regulations for hospitals including administration, registration, records storage, out-patient and inpatient areas, operating theatres, Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Radiology and laboratory services, emergency areas, etc.

The institutes must get mandatory regulatory/licensing approvals and all statutory requirement/clearances obtained from the appropriate administrative authorities/State Government/Central Government/Pollution Control Board/Municipal Corporations/ Councils etc. The colleges shall have one teaching room for each department with a capacity to accommodate an adequate number of students for clinical case discussions/demonstrations. Each such room shall have audio-visual facilities. The institution shall have adequate in-house laboratory and imaging facilities for the training of post-graduate students.

The colleges must increase the faculty, infrastructure and other staff in the subject of Radio-diagnosis, Anaesthesia, Pathology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry with the increase in the number of beds in the hospital. The Commission has also asked the institutions to increase faculty and infrastructure if the workload of any department is more. The departments should have adequate latest in-house equipment and training facilities as per curriculum requirements for the training of postgraduate students.

Along with that, a digital library and seminar hall with well-equipped high-speed internet, Wi-Fi connected media room is must for each departments for a direct relay from in-house operation theatres.

By Shuddhanta Patra

Do away with seat-leaving bond: NMC to states, UTs

Do away with seat-leaving bond: NMC to states, UTs

 DurgeshNandan.Jha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi : The National Medical Commission (NMC) has asked states/UTs to do away with the ‘seat-leaving bond’ policy in medical colleges. The policy refers to a contract between the medical college and student that mandates the latter to pay a hefty amount – ranging anywhere between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 40 lakh or more if she or he decides to discontinue the course midway. The practice is prevalent in both government and private-run medical colleges. According to Dr Aruna V Vanikar, president of NMC’s Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB), the Commission has received numerous complaints relating to alarming level of stress, anxiety and depression faced particularly by PG medical students across various institutions. 

“These mental health challenges are primarily due to inability of the individual to acclimatise to a different environment prevailing within their new college/institution as compared to the one in which one has grown up or completed undergraduate education,” says Dr Vanikar in aletter to health secretaries of all states and UTs. She adds that the imposi- tion of a hefty seat-leaving bond acts as an impediment for affected students in seeking relief. “Such exorbitant amounts not only exacerbate the financial strain on the students but also act as a deterrent for seeking necessary mental health support from the family,” said the letter and urged states/UTs to do away with the practice in medical colleges. “An action taken report by your government on this issue will be highly appreciated,” she said. 

Sources said the decision to write to the states/UTs on this issue was taken in a meeting of NMC’s anti-ragging committee on Jan 9. The committee recommended that instead of imposing a heavy seatleaving bond, states/UTs may consider debarring the student from admission in their state for the next one year. Signing of seat-leaving bond, a common practice for medical students especially at PG level, started with the aim to secure commitment, discourage abrupt resignations, address the issue of seat-blocking and waste of medical seats. But NMC says since number of medical seats has increased substantially, the issue of seats going waste is not of much significance. “Also seat-blocking is valid till counselling is on and after the session has started and last date of admission is over, the negative effect of lower merit candidates being benefitted by leaving of seats does not arise,” it adds. NMC highlighted seven instances where parents bore the financial cost to relieve their children of the stress and anxiety by paying the surety amount as mentioned in the seat-leaving bond. 

Dr Rishiraj Sinha, general secretary of the Federation of All India Medical Association, said: “The elimination of seatleaving bonds is a welcome move to prioritise the well-being of resident doctors leading them to provide optimal patient care, treatment and management. A supportive and stress-free work environment for resident doctors is directly proportional to improved healthcare outcomes and quality patient care.”

Aadhaar-based biometric system hints at severe staff crunch in medical colleges

Aadhaar-based biometric system hints at severe staff crunch in medical colleges

Shortage of faculty has become acute with sharp increase in medical seats

Written by Anonna Dutt

New Delhi | Updated: January 14, 2024 07:28 IST

With problems of ghost faculty or faculty being transferred between colleges during NMC inspections, the apex medical education regulator has said they will depend more on the Aadhaar-based system to ensure year-round availability of faculty members in the medical colleges.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) last month sent notices to nearly half of the medical colleges in India for failing to maintain at least 75% attendance of faculty members over a three-month period, with states that have low density of medical colleges reporting some of the highest shortfall in attendance.

Sources in the apex medical education regulator said the shortage in attendance reported on the online Aadhaar-based biometric system is most likely because of shortage in faculty itself.

“It has been made mandatory for faculty members to mark the attendance online. While the provisions were there since 2020, it started being enforced last year onwards. If the colleges had faculty, why would they not mark the attendance. Almost all the shortfall in attendance is because the colleges do not have requisite faculty members,” said the official.

If there is an actual shortfall in the number of faculty members, colleges will face a tough time fulfilling the deficiency.

“All the medical colleges are hereby informed that they must…fulfill the requirements accordingly, at their earliest. In the absence of these requirements or deficiency in any of the fields…admissions for the Academic Year 2024-25 shall not be allowed,” the NMC notice read.

This is the second year in a row that NMC has sent a slew of notices to hundreds of colleges. However, all but nine private colleges were granted permission to admit students after appeal. While these nine medical colleges still figure on the list of colleges with deficiencies, according to another NMC member, other colleges which were permitted to take in students last year also didn’t fulfill the requirements.

“Most of the colleges were allowed to admit students on appeal. Otherwise, the entire medical education sector would have collapsed. There is no government college in the country where the deficiency is less than 25% to 30% – NMC provisions allow only for a shortfall of 10% – meaning these colleges should technically be closed. The situation is worse in state medical colleges,” said an NMC member.

States with deficiencies

In states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Punjab where the density of medical colleges continue to remain low, notices were sent to more than half the existing colleges. The highest proportion was in Uttar Pradesh where 56 of the 68 medical colleges were sent notices. Uttar Pradesh was also the state where several medical colleges did not have attendance for almost the entire staff.

In Madhya Pradesh, 20 of the 27 medical colleges, including reputable government medical colleges such as Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur, were sent notices. In Jharkhand, six of the nine medical colleges were sent notices and in Punjab eight of the 12 were.

More than half the colleges were sent notices even in states such as Karnataka and Kerala that have a high density of medical colleges.

Shortfall in government, non-clinical departments

There were almost similar numbers of government and private medical colleges that were sent notices, however, the deficiencies were more pervasive in the government colleges, according to the analysis of data from 32 of these colleges at random. Most of the deficiencies were also seen in non-clinical departments such as anatomy, pharmacology, and forensic medicine.

One of the reasons the government allowed zero percentile for admission to postgraduate courses this year was to ensure that students take up these non-clinical subjects and become professors later. There were also deficiencies in clinical departments such as dermatology and radio-diagnosis. According to experts, recruiting to radiology has always been a problem for medical colleges, as people prefer practicing rather than becoming a professor.

Gaining and retaining faculty

The shortage of faculty members has become acute with the sharp increase in medical seats – the number of MBBS seats has almost doubled over the last decade. A doctor, who has served as a dean in a government medical college as well as a VC in a private one, said, “The shortage is more severe in the government system because several of the rules are very restrictive. There is a need to free up say general duty doctors and medical officers for the post of professors. There is a need to increase the age of retirement or upper age limit for various posts in the interim. Changing such rules will allow for more doctors to come into the newly opened medical colleges.”

Citing an example, the doctor said that since 2013 – around the same time when the number of colleges started increasing – there has been a requirement for professors to have published papers. Most clinical practitioners might not be able to fulfill this requirement.

The doctor said: “The disparity in pay, say between a state medical college and an AIIMS in the same state, leads to some of the colleges being left without any faculty. At present, the salary at AIIMS is nearly double of what many state government’s pay. This leads to a severe shortage in these state medical colleges.”

With problems of ghost faculty or faculty being transferred between colleges during NMC inspections, the apex medical education regulator has said they will depend more on the Aadhaar-based system to ensure year-round availability of faculty members in the medical colleges.

“The plan is to completely switch to the online system – with data from the cameras and hospital management system – ensuring proper work throughout the year. Physical inspections would need to be conducted only when these requirements are not fulfilled or when there is a complaint. But, this will take some time,” said the first official quoted.

Medical Education : Supreme Court Transfers To Itself Petitions In HCs Challenging NMC Mandate For Govt Fee In 50% Pvt Medical Seats

Medical Education : Supreme Court Transfers To Itself Petitions In HCs Challenging NMC Mandate For Govt Fee In 50% Pvt Medical Seats

Gyanvi Khanna

9 Jan 2024 7:53 PM

In another legal update, the Supreme Court is set to examine the validity of an Office Memorandum issued by the National Medical Commission (on February 3, 2022) stipulating that 50% of the seats in Private Medical Colleges “should be at par with the fee in the Government Medical Colleges of a particular State.”

The AHSI Association of Health Sciences Institutes has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the NMC's decision. However, several High Courts were also seized with a similar matter. Considering the same, the Supreme Court (on January 05) has allowed the transfer petitions filed by the NMC seeking the transfer of all similar matters to the SC.

Accordingly, the Bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered:

“Considering the issue involved in Writ Petition (Civil) No.682 of 2022 which is the pending in this Court and the issues involved in the writ petitions which are subject matter of transfer, we allow the Transfer Petitions. The Registry to issue orders to the Registrar General of all the concerned High Courts to immediately transmit the record of the transferred writ petitions.”

The impugned OM has been stayed by three High Courts, namely, Kerala High Court, Madhya Pradesh High Court and Madras High Court.

AHSI is an Association of unaided private medical colleges and nursing institutes operating in the State of West Bengal.

In its petition, AHSI has assailed the impugned OM, stating the same is not only ultra-vires the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, but it is also without jurisdiction, unconstitutional, and an attempt to overrule the judgments of the Top Court.

Elaborating, it said that the Apex Court, by its several rulings, has clearly formulated the method for fixation of fees, considering various guidelines such as facilities available in the college, infrastructure, age of investment made, plans for expansion, etc. The petitioner went on to state that the sole authority vested with powers to fix the fees of medical colleges fees is the Fee Fixation Committee in each state. The same is presided over by a retired High Court judge, a Chartered Accountant of repute, a representative of the Medical Council of India, and the Secretary of State for Medical / Technical Education.

“Each college is required to place before the Committee its fee proposal along with relevant books of accounts. The committee has been conferred with the power to either approve or alter the fee structure proposed by the college and such fee shall be applicable for 3 years.,” the petition elucidated.

Among other cases, the petitioner cited a landmark judgment of T.M.A. Pai Foundation & Ors. Vs. State of Karnataka & Ors. It contended that in T.M.A Pai, the 11-Judge Bench of the Court has held such a stipulation for 50% of seats in private medical colleges to be treated as Government seats for Fee fixation as “unconstitutional”.

Referring to Section 10(1)(i) of the NMC Act, it has been argued that the same does not extend any such jurisdiction of fee fixation in the NMC. It only seeks to provide certain factors to be considered about the fixation of fees, which is being fixed by the Fee Committee, as mentioned above, from time to time.

Pertinently, the referred Section 10(1)(i) of the NMC Act, inter alia, stipulates that the NMC shall frame guidelines for fees and other charges concerning 50% seats in private medical institutions.

Accordingly, it is being submitted that the impugned OM is ultra-vires to Section 10 and ultra-vires to the Constitution of India.

“It is without jurisdiction, unconstitutional, and an attempt to overrule the judgments of this Hon'ble Court by an executive action – in a manner not known and impermissible in law.,” the petition stated.

In view of this, the petitioner has asserted that NMC is not empowered to fix the fee and not allow the unaided private institutions to recover the fee fixed by Fee Committees from all the students in a uniform manner to recover its expenditure and also a reasonable profit/surplus for its expansion.

Case Title: NATIONAL MEDICAL COMMISSION vs. HIMALAYAN INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES., Diary No.- 32618 – 2022

NMC introduces post-doctoral fellowship courses to promote research, clinical skill development

NMC introduces post-doctoral fellowship courses to promote research, clinical skill development

Medical institutions till now were creating and approving these courses at their own level to train doctors.

By: Education Desk

New Delhi | Updated: January 5, 2024 19:40 IST

The post-doctoral fellowship courses will solve many difficulties faced by students to register their degree after passing PG examinations (Express image/ file)

Medical education regulator — National Medical Commission — has for the first time introduced post-doctoral fellowship courses in medical colleges regulated by it to promote research and clinical skill development.

Medical institutions till now were creating and approving these courses at their own level to train doctors.

The regulator recently notified “Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023” according to which once a medical college is granted permission to start PG course or seats, the course will be treated as recognised.

This will solve many difficulties faced by students to register their degree after passing postgraduate examinations, Dr Vijay Oza, President of Post-Graduate Medical Education Board of the National Medical Commission (NMC) explained.

As per the new regulations which have replaced the Postgraduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2018, the existing NEET-PG examination will continue till the proposed National Exit Test (NExT) becomes operational for the purpose of PG admission.

The new regulations state that all post-graduate students will work as full-time resident doctors and for “reasonable working hours” and will be provided “reasonable time for rest” in a day.

They will be permitted a minimum 20 days of casual leaves per year and five days of academic per year. Subject to exigencies of work, post-graduate students will be allowed one weekly holiday, the new regulations said.

“Earlier there was no written provision of leaves,” Dr Oza said.

“The NMC after considering the comments and suggestions of various stakeholders and detailed in-house discussion unveiled groundbreaking reforms in post-graduate medical education, aimed at fostering quality, ethical practice, and inclusivity within the medical fraternity,” he said.

These reforms encompass various critical aspects of post-graduate medical training and aim to enhance the standards of education and practice nationwide, Dr Oza said.

“The comprehensive reforms outlined in the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, mark a pivotal moment in ensuring the highest standards of medical education in our country. These regulations underscore our commitment to nurturing a proficient and ethical healthcare workforce,” Dr Yogender Malik, member of the Ethics and Medical Registration Board and head of the media division at NMC, said.

For better implementation of these regulations, there is provision of penalty clause which includes monetary penalty, reduction in number of seats (admission capacity) or complete stoppage of admissions.

Now, all PG medical students in state to get uniform stipend

Now, all PG medical students in state to get uniform stipend

There have been complaints in the past by PG students from private medical colleges that their stipend amount is never at par with the government medical colleges (GMC).

Written by Pallavi Smart

Mumbai | Updated: January 5, 2024 03:22 IST

One of the students said, “In Maharashtra, when a PG student from GMC is getting paid close to Rs 80,000 a month, in private medical colleges this varies from 20,000-50,000. Whereas some do not even pay any stipend to PG students. In Karnataka, where GMCs are paying Rs 40,000 a month, private colleges are paying almost half of it.”

Post-Graduate (PG) students in all medical colleges will now have to be paid stipend at par with the stipend being paid to PG students of state-run medical colleges where the institution is located. This is clarified in a gazette notification issued by the National Medical Council (NMC) on Thursday on Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (PGMER-23), applicable to medical colleges across India.

While the stipend regulation puts an end to the persisting clash over differences in amount of stipend paid to PG medical students in government and private institutions, the PGMER-23 also brings uniformity in various other aspects of PG medical education imparted in institutions of various types such as weekly off and daily resting period for PG students, paid leaves for casual and academic reasons etc.

There have been complaints in the past by PG students from private medical colleges that their stipend amount is never at par with the government medical colleges (GMC). One of the students said, “In Maharashtra, when a PG student from GMC is getting paid close to Rs 80,000 a month, in private medical colleges this varies from 20,000-50,000. Whereas some do not even pay any stipend to PG students. In Karnataka, where GMCs are paying Rs 40,000 a month, private colleges are paying almost half of it.”

Stating that the uniformity in stipend, clarified in the notification, is a great relief for PG students, especially those studying in private medical colleges, one of the parents, Brijesh Sutaria, said, “Clarity in stipend for PG students across medical colleges was need of the hour. It is important to see that these regulations are implemented and do not remain only on paper.”

As per the notification, all PG medical candidates, irrespective of whether they are studying in government or private institutions, are entitled to 20 days of paid casual leave along with five days of paid-academic leave per year and all PG medical students should be allowed one weekly off.

The notification also states, “All post-graduate students will work as full-time resident doctors. They will work for reasonable working hours and will be provided reasonable time for rest in a day.”

But this according to parents is ambiguous. A parent, Sudha Shenoy, said, “The NMC should define daily-duty for each PG student and duration of rest-period. The word ‘reasonable’ is very subjective. It can be conveniently used by different colleges.” Sutaria pointed out how PG students are generally seen working 72- 96 hours without going home, insisting on the definition of working hours and resting-period.

Adding to this, Shenoy said, “Apart from regulation, the NMC should also have clarified a grievance redressal process, if any student should have complaint. There has to be a system to monitor.”

Some other important points from the PGMER-23 include extension in tenure of district residency programme from two months to three months wherein all PG students pursuing MD/MS in broad specialties in all medical colleges shall undergo a compulsory residential rotation of three months in district hospitals or district health systems.

New NMC norms mandate reasonable work hours for resident doctors, but don’t say what’s ‘reasonable’

New NMC norms mandate reasonable work hours for resident doctors, but don’t say what’s ‘reasonable’

The fresh regulations were meant to address issues like work stress. Federation of Resident Doctors Association says several of their demands ignored, plan to appeal to health ministry.

SUMI SUKANYA DUTTA

04 January, 2024 06:02 pm IST

New Delhi: The new Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER) state that medical institutions should allow resident doctors to work only for “reasonable” hours and rest for “reasonable time” in a day, without specifying what “reasonable” means.

The PGMER 2023 was notified by the National Medical Commission (NMC) on Monday and published Wednesday.

The new regulations, which have replaced the Postgraduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2018, have for the first time also stipulated a leave policy for residents, which entitles them to 20 casual leaves, apart from five academic leaves every year.

The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) — India largest network of resident doctors — expressed displeasure over the NMC’s failure to define working hours for PG doctors. It also criticised the leave policy, saying that the number of leaves mentioned in the regulations is less than what was sought. FORDA plans to appeal to the Union health ministry as well as the NMC to get the norms amended.

“For the last two years, we have been petitioning the government and the NMC to incorporate our demands related to working hours, leaves, stipend and working conditions. It is disappointing that very few of those have been incorporated in the new regulations despite assurances,” FORDA president Dr Aviral Mathur told ThePrint.

The association, in its representations to the ministry and NMC, has been demanding that resident doctors not be made to work beyond 60 hours a week and be given at least 30 leaves every year apart from fixed weekly offs.

They are currently given 20 leaves per year at most institutions. Resident doctors claim that on several occasions, they are made to work 24 hours and even 48 hours at a stretch, which leads to excessive work-related burnout. Moreover, in departments such as surgery, emergency, medicine and obstetrics and gynecology, which have the highest patient load in most government hospitals, the situation is particularly bad.

Doctors say that in many cases, hospitals deny weekly offs to residents while asking them to be on round-the-clock duty for up to five days a week.

FORDA has also expressed concern over the fact that its demand to make the proposed National Exit Test (NExT) — which will replace final year exams for MBBS students and entrance tests for post-graduate courses — only a licentiate examination and not a qualifying test, has been ignored.

“The new norms just mention NExT but don’t clarify what all purposes it will solve, leaving the provision vague and confusing,” Mathur said.

The regulations state that “an all-India merit list as well as a state-wise merit list of the eligible candidates shall be prepared based on the marks obtained in NExT or NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test)-PG and candidates shall be admitted to post-graduate courses from the said merit lists only”.

ThePrint reached NMC spokesperson Dr Yogender Malik over phone. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.

Opining that one cannot be permitted to act as per his whims and play with the lives of people, the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday turned down the plea of a 50-year-old man who had sought to be readmitted to MBBS course more than three decades after dropping out.

Published on 17.02.2022 in Medical Dialogues

Ahmedabad: Opining that one cannot be permitted to act as per his whims and play with the lives of people, the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday turned down the plea of a 50-year-old man who had sought to be readmitted to MBBS course more than three decades after dropping out.

Referring to the advances of medical science over these years, and also pointing out that the syllabus of the MBBS course must have changed in this course of time, the High Court bench comprising of Justice Bhargav D Karia dismissed the man's plea of appearing for the third year MBBS examination.

"Suppose there are no rules (for such readmissions). Even then, you cannot be permitted to act as per your whims, more particularly when you are going to play with the lives of people," the court was quoted observing by PTI.

The bench was considering a plea filed by one Kandip Joshi, who had appeared for his second-year MBBS exams at Baroda Medical College in 1988 and later dropped out due to personal reasons.

The petitioner, who is currently engaged in some business, wanted to pursue his third year MBBS course and appear for the exam at the same college, more than 30 years later, Joshi's lawyer told the court.

Joshi had first approached the college in 2013 seeking readmission in the third year, and after being denied, he approached the court, which dismissed his plea in 2019, while giving him the liberty to approach the Medical Council of India (MCI), now National Medical Commission (NMC) with representation.

The petitioner's lawyer stated that when Joshi approached the MCI, it rejected his request stating that "the duration of discontinuation allowed shall be five years from the period of discontinuation".

It said that the date of application for rejoining should not be later than five years from the date of discontinuation. In Joshi's case, it was 31 years since he first approached the Dean of the Medical College at Vadodara in 2013, his lawyer said.

After taking note of the submissions of the petitioner's counsel, the High Court bench wanted to know why he should continue to pursue the MBBS course at this stage in life and "play with the lives of people".

"Why should he waste…what will he get after this? Can he do an internship at the age of 50? It is not possible. How many children (does he have)? At the age of 50, his children must be in the age of pursuing MBBS course. Will he study with his children for the course?" Justice Karia asked.

He further said that the petitioner was bound to fail if he appeared for the exam, especially as he will be attending the new course after such a long gap.

When Joshi's lawyer argued that the petitioner sought to study the third-year course before taking the exam, the court said that such a permission cannot be granted. "Why should he be ready at this stage of life, to start from scratch?" the court questioned.

It further noted that the syllabus would have changed several times with the advances in medical science over the last three decades.

"The course for which you appeared for the first and second year MBBS exams does not exist, then where is the question of permitting you for the third year?" Justice Karia as he turned down the plea.

Why dreams have turned into nightmares for these medicos

Why dreams have turned into nightmares for these medicos

TNN | Dec 26, 2023, 08.15 AM IST

Why dreams have turned into nightmares for these medicos

NEW DELHI: After completing her MBBS, 27-year-old Chanchal (name changed) put in two years of hard work to prepare and clear her postgraduate National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). She is now a second-year PG student in the obstetrics and gynaecology department of a state-run government medical college in Delhi. Her dream, however, has turned into a “nightmare”.

“Every day, I wake up with a feeling of regret. I wish I had not opted for this branch and sacrificed my mental health. Even thinking about going to the hospital makes me anxious. I have been diagnosed with depression and put on medication. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one who is suffering due to an understaffed and toxic work environment in government hospitals,” she said.

Several resident doctors TOI spoke to shared similar concerns about the conditions in top state- and Centre-run government-run medical colleges in the city — long, taxing days where the working hours could stretch from 18 to 36 hours, sleep deprivation, non-sanctioning of leaves during emergencies and ‘mistreatment’.

Recently, 25-year-old Jay Dipesh Savla, a third-year PG resident doctor from Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital, allegedly died by suicide at his south Delhi home, where he lived alone. According to police, Savla had been suffering from depression for the past two years. While it is not yet clear if this was linked to work-related stress, his death has put the spotlight back on the working conditions of resident doctors.

Describing the condition of PG residents, especially in bigger medical colleges, as “pathetic”, a doctor who recently completed her post-graduation in general medicine at Safdarjung Hospital, claimed, “There is no regulation of working hours for resident doctors. They are paid to work 48 hours a week, but instead they are forced to putin over 100 hours each week. Getting a PG degree from a government college is equivalent to going through continued abuse.”

Physician burnout, she added, was potentially dangerous not only for doctors, but also for their patients, as research has shown it to be linked to medical errors and found that overworked doctors are twice as likely to make one. “Unfortunately, the patients who are at the risk of human error often belong to the economically weaker sections, so not much is done to get the system rectified,” she said.

When contacted, there was no immediate response from Safdarjung Hospital.

Another resident doctor from the hospital’s general medicine department claimed junior residents also face harassment at the hands of senior doctors. “Imagine someone who has worked extremely hard to get into a government college, only to get humiliated by seniors every day. Seniors not only make juniors feel worthless, but also make them do menial work — from getting their food to paying for their meals. Not everyone can handle such pressure,” he added.

Many other resident doctors shared similar complaints, saying junior PG students face the brunt of the ‘toxicity’. The working environment, according to them, was the worst in departments such as surgery, orthopaedics, general medicine, and obstetrics and gynaecology.

According to Dr Sarvesh Pandey, general secretary, Federation of Resident Doctors Association, “The poor condition of PG resident doctors is an open secret. The government is starting morning and evening OPD, but have they opened any vacancies to operate these? The burden invariably lands on the shoulders of the residents. The root cause of their poor mental health is understaffed hospitals and lack of infrastructure.”

He added, “We have written multiple times to the Union health ministry to fill the pending vacancies in hospitals to bring down the workload. However, in most top medical hospitals, scores of posts are lying vacant.”

Last year, amid concerns over ragging and workload, National Medical Council, India’s apex medical regulatory authority, had asked all medical colleges to compile data on suicides and dropouts by undergraduate and postgraduate students in the past five years.

Unified counselling for MBBS seats across nation from next academic year Our Correspondent Published...

 Unified counselling for MBBS seats across nation from next academic year Our Correspondent Published...

Read more at: https://www.onmanorama.com/career-and-campus/top-news/2023/12/01/unified-counselling-for-mbbs-seats-across-nation-from-next-year.html

Doctors fume over NMC's new logo with Hindu deity and the term 'Bharat'

Doctors fume over NMC's new logo with Hindu deity and the term 'Bharat'

Earlier, the Dhanvantri image in the logo was smaller and darker. The logo also had ‘India’ and ‘Bhartiya’ written, which has now been removed.

Published: 30th November 2023 09:09 PM | Last Updated: 30th November 2023 

A new logo of the National Medical Commission (NMC). (Photo | Twitter)

By Kavita Bajeli-Datt

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A new logo of the National Medical Commission (NMC), which regulates medical education in India, has courted controversy as an image of the Hindu deity Dhanwanthari has replaced the national emblem of India, which features four Asiatic lions standing back to back, on the official logo of India’s National Medical Commission (NMC).

It also refers to the organisation as the ‘National Medical Commission - Bharat’ replacing ‘India’, triggering speculations about BJP's alleged plans to remove the word ‘India’ from the Constitution in the upcoming special session of Parliament.

The new logo is already being used on the official website of the NMC, and seems to have been introduced clandestinely with no official intimation being given to the media or public.

Though the changed logo can be seen on its official website, on X, formerly Twitter, the national emblem with Satyamev Jayate written below remains. The NMC, on its letterhead, frequently uses the national symbol.

Many doctors and medical professionals took to social media, especially X, to slam the change in the logo.

Speaking to the New Indian Express, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) National President, Dr Sharad Kumar Agarwal, said that changing the logo was “unnecessary.”

“The inclusion of Dhanwanthari was unnecessary and should have been avoided. They should focus on the quality of medical education. They are not a political body and should not have political aspirations or try to please their political bosses,” he said.

The IMA, Kerala branch, shot a letter to the NMC Chairman condemning the decision and demanded immediate action in this regard.

“This is to inform you that the recent change in the National Medical Commission Logo is unacceptable to the modern medical fraternity. The new logo gives a wrong message and will harm the scientific and secular nature of the Commission,” the letter, written jointly by IMA Kerala president Dr Joseph Benaven and secretary Dr K Sasidharan, said.

“Members of the profession have already raised their voices against this unacceptable move,” they said.

Kannur-based ophthalmologist K V Babu, who has filed numerous RTIs to the NMC and Union Health Ministry, demanding that the medical body members share their assets as mandated by the NMC Act 2019, said that the members are “trying to divert the attention of the doctors and public by creating controversies.”

Dr. Rohan Krishnan, national chairman of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), said it is an “unnecessary move which is not going to help the doctors or the patients.”

“The new logo resembles the logo of the National Medicos Organisation (NMO), which is a political wing. The NMC has not been up to the mark on various fronts. Whether it is medical education, registration of the doctors, or in providing good quality medical education or even in providing job opportunities to freshly passed out MBBS students,” Krishnan told this paper.

“They have also failed to provide better medical education infrastructure or to solve the issues of foreign medical graduates. The entire body is unapproachable, and they hardly respond to RTIs. They are interested in impressing their political masters.”

Many doctors posted on X. One post by a doctor known as Dr Hypertension, on X said: “What’s more saddening is NMC logo now will have Ayurveda founder Dhanvantari a kind of alternative medicine pic in its logo for modern medicine in India.”

Another MBBS student from Rohtak, Pankaj Bitthu, said, “The new logo of NMC is highly objectionable. BJP govt is trying to introduce Hindutva in medical education, which entirely defeats the scientific and evidence-based approach of modern medicine.”

A doctor, popularly known by his handle Indian Doctor, posted on X that the representative of Allopathy, (modern medical science), has modified its logo to Dhanwantari (the physician of God and God of Ayurveda).

Others said it is “unacceptable” and “disturbing,” while many went ahead saying that NMC cannot be “religious” in its approach as it is a “regulatory body of modern medicine in India.”

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp