NMC pulls up medical colleges, state govts for interstate posting of PG students without fulfilling norms

NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) pulled up medical colleges and state governments for allowing interstate posting of postgraduate medical students for their compulsory residential rotation without fulfilling the norms.

Stating that there are ample avenues available for students to work within the state under the District Residential Programme, the commission said requests for interstate posting should be 'rare and only in extraordinary circumstances', CK Ramaswamy, director of the NMC Post Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) said.

As per the PG medical board regulations 2023, all postgraduate students pursuing MD, MS in broad specialties in medical colleges will have to complete a compulsory residential rotation of three months in district hospitals, district health system as a part of the course curriculum.

For PG students of specialities “where direct patient care is not involved will be trained by district health system or district hospital teams within the available avenues in coordination with the district health officer or chief medical officer”, the official circular read.

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Definition of district hospital, health system

As per the PGMER-2023 regulations Section 5.2 III and IV, the NMC has defined district hospital and district health system as follows:

Definition of District Hospital: “For the purpose of this programme, a District Hospital shall be a functional public sector/government-funded hospital of not less than 50 beds with facilities/staff for the designated specialties at that level/facility.”

Definition of District Health System: "The District Health System shall include all public sector/government-funded hospitals and facilities (including community health centers, primary health centers, sub-health centers, urban health centers, etc.), as well as community outreach system in a district. This would also include the district system engaged in running respective public health services including the implementation of national and state public health programmes.”

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District Residency Programme

Students will be trained to contribute to diagnostic, laboratory, pharmacy, forensic services, general clinical duties, managerial roles, public health programmes etc. “They may also be posted in research units / facilities, laboratories and field sites of the Indian Council of Medical Research and other National Research Organizations,” the NMC PGMEB director said.

Citing the “wide options” for posting students for district residency programmes in all specialties in any state, the board said: “The requirement of requesting other state should be rare and only in extraordinary circumstances. If any State feels such requirement, prior approval of PGMEB of NMC may be obtained before proceeding further.” In such cases, the approval for interstate posting should be given after the respective state governments mutually agree, it added.

Answering a frequently asked question, the NMC slammed the deans, principals, and directorates of medical education who were found to have issued the no objection certificates (NOCs) without fulfilling the norms. It further urged all medical colleges and states to adhere to the NMC regulations.