Illegal for medical colleges to not pay stipend to students after availing service: NMC

New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) on Monday termed it illegal for medical colleges to not pay stipends and withhold documents of MD and MS students after availing their services even after their term got over.

The NMC Post-Graduate Medical Education Board advised the colleges that wherever the exams have been held and results declared, successful MD/MS and DM/M.Ch candidates should be designated as senior residents and assistant professors respectively, and be paid accordingly. In an advisory, it said wherever the examinations are not yet over, the postgraduate students should be paid the stipend till their services are availed.

The NMC issued the advisory after it received many complaints from students that many institutes are refusing to pay the stipend after their term is over and are also not relieving them. It is also alleged that the colleges are withholding their documents.

The advisory stated that COVID-19 has disrupted the examination schedules of medical education in the country for the last one-and-a-half year. This has put a lot of stress on medical students. The NEET examination was postponed, delaying the arrival of a fresh batch of post-graduate students. Many universities could not hold the examination for final year post-graduate students.

In view of these impediments, an advisory was issued by the NMC facilitating the institutes to use the services of MD/MS students who had finished their term of three years, till the arrival of a fresh batch of students. It was clearly mentioned that they should be paid stipend and hostel facilities should be continued.

This was done to augment medical manpower during the pandemic, the advisory stated. "Unfortunately, we have received many complaints from students that many institutes are refusing to pay the stipend after their term is over and are also not relieving them. They are holding their documents. This is illegal. Hence this advisory is being issued," NMC said. The commission stated that wherever the examinations are not yet over, the post-graduate students should be paid a stipend till their services are availed.

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