NEWS TODAY 03.01.2024

 

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.

NEWS TODAY 02.01.2024

 

Will not intervene in DMK’s campaign against NEET: SC

Will not intervene in DMK’s campaign against NEET: SC

THE HINDU BUREAU NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to intervene against a students’ signature campaign announced by the DMK against the conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in the State, stating that the current generation was smart enough to see through the motive and the agenda behind such moves.

“Fortunately, we now have a very informed generation. Our children are not so innocent. They understand everything and are far ahead of our generation. They understand the motive, the agenda and how it all happens,” Justice Surya Kant, heading a Bench also comprising Justice K.V. Viswanathan, said.

Advocate M.L. Ravi, president of Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi and the petitioner, said this was a case of the “ruling party taking advantage of children politically”. However, the court said: “Do not raise these kinds of pleas in PILs… the campaign is not going to affect anything. This kind of all-India test has to be held. That is policy.”

The petitioner said Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin had announced the signature campaign against NEET and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had announced that 50 lakh signatures had been collected in 50 days.

“There is no permission obtained from parents to take the signature of the students. By this act, students get disturbed and later, they may have to take the NEET. The students may end up in mental agony and spoil their career,” the petition had said.

Pongal gift: Raw rice, sugar, cane

Pongal gift: Raw rice, sugar, cane

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Chennai: The state government will give 1kg each of raw rice and sugar and one sugarcane to ration card holders eligible for rice and Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in rehabilitation camps. The state government allotted 238crore to procure these items and distribute it through the ration shops.

According to the government order, the raw rice would be procured at the cost of 35.2, while the sugar will be procured at the rate of 40.6 and the sugarcane will be procured at the rate of 33 for one sugarcane. Last year, the state government gave 1,000 as Pongal cash prize. This year, it distributes only the three items ahead of Pongal.tnn