'Why is NMC silent?' KM Medical College ‘forces’ PG doctors to admit 100 patients in 15 days

NEW DELHI: Krishna Mohan Medical College and Hospital Mathura has asked PG resident doctors to admit 100 patients in 15 days under its ‘Outreach Community Residents Posting’ programme. Failure to achieve the set 100-patient target will result in an extension of the programme for resident doctors on a “per-day basis”, the circular read.

In a circular dated January 14, KM Medical College announced the start of a new programme titled "Outreach Community Residents Posting”. The resident doctors were directed to accompany PROs to various villages, routes for promotional activities and patient outreach and “admit at least 100 patients within the next 15 days”.

As per the management orders, the resident doctors will be divided into four groups, with each group consisting of three PG students accompanied by a PRO.

“Failure to admit 100 patients within 15 days will result in an extension of the program on a per-day basis. If a patient leaves against medical advice due to a PG resident doctor's failure to consult with their consultant, the resident doctor must admit 50 patients individually,” the circular read.

It further said that the patients will be given two options - package dead or medicine-only basis. If a patient chooses for medicine only, their PAC medicines will be given free of cost for once.

What do the NMC regulations say?

The Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, published by the NMC directed each medical college to ensure that the intern gets learning experience in the community. “These shall include community and outreach activities, collaboration with rural and urban community health centers, participation in Government health programmes, etc.”

“Internships should be increasingly scheduled to utilise clinical facilities available in District Hospital, Taluka Hospital, Community Health Centre and Primary Health Centre, in addition to Teaching Hospital,” the commission suggested.

“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,” the NMC guidelines for the PG training programme read.

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#BondedLabour

The circular has sparked outrage among the medicos. With the hashtag #BondedLabour, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) posted on X: “K.M Medical College Mathura forces PG residents into a 100-patient target in 15 days under its “Outreach Program”. Now Private Mafia has started giving targets to Doctors and Students to fulfill their monetary targets! Why @NMC_BHARAT is silent?”

The United Doctors Front (UDF) has also submitted an RTI request to the NMC seeking clarity and accountability regarding an order issued. Demanding for a detailed information on the rule and scope of work, the doctors group said: "UDF strongly believes such directives, if true, undermine the professional ethics and mental well-being of junior doctors and calls for immediate clarification and appropriate action from the concerned authorities."

Tagging the National Medical Commission (NMC) and health ministry, a resident doctor said: “KM Medical College, Mathura forces PG Residents into a 100-patient target in 15 days under its “Outreach Program.” Non-compliance = penalties, extending duties indefinitely. Kindly look into this circular violating all NMC PG guidelines.”