News Analysis India

Tag: National Medical Commission

  • Controversial move making it mandatory for doctors to prescribe only generic drugs put on hold

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The controversial NMC regulation stipulating that all doctors must mandatorily prescribe generic drugs or face a penalty has been put on abeyance.

    On Thursday, the National Medical Commission (NMC) put on hold the ‘Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2023, published on August 2.

    The regulations made it mandatory for all doctors to prescribe generic drugs, failing which they will be penalised, and even their license may be suspended for a period. The other regulation barred them from accepting gifts from pharma companies or endorsing drug brands.

    The regulations raised the hackles of the medical fraternity, which slammed the move to regulate them.

    The Indian Medical Association (IMA) vehemently opposed the move and held a two-hour meeting on Monday with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, expressing their concerns.

    Speaking with The New Indian Express, a jubilant IMA National President, Dr Sharad Kumar Agarwal, said they welcome the move and are happy that the health minister understood their concerns and directed the NMC to put the regulations on hold.

    “We are grateful to the minister for being receptive and considering our genuine demands. We want to promise that the entire medical fraternity would work to ensure affordable medical health for the people of this country.”

    “The entire set of 2023 Regulations notified by the NMC has been held in abeyance,” the IMA reposted on X (formerly Twitter).

    ALSO READ | More voices of protest against NMC rules binding doctors to prescribe only generic drugs

    “It’s a triumph that showcases the power of collective efforts and reinforces our association’s significance. Let’s continue to stand united, uphold the values of our noble profession, and work towards a healthcare system,” the IMA reposted.

    The regulation related to generic drugs was slammed by the medical fraternity and  pharma companies, including branded generic and even the pharmacy association. The move was opposed by all the medical associations and bodies, including the Association of Healthcare Providers (AHPI), the National Medicos Organisation, FAIMA Doctors Association and Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association.

    Interestingly, a survey by Local Circles, a community-based social media platform, regarding generic medicine, revealed that just seven per cent of people surveyed agreed with the mandates of doctors prescribing only the generic name of the drugs. At the same time, the rest opposed the move; over 20,000 people were surveyed for the survey.

    Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, past president of IMA Cochin, told The New Indian Express that the move “is welcomed by all doctors.” “Doctors prescribe medications that they have found effective through years of practice. Patients are entitled to get good quality medications. While generics is a good concept overall, unfortunately, because of variation in quality, we are far from implementing a 100% generic prescription in our country.”

    In its notification on Thursday, the NMC said, “That National Medical Commission Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2023, are hereby held in abeyance with immediate effect. That for removal of doubts, it is clarified that the National Medical Commission Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2023, shall not be operative and effective till further Gazette Notification on the subject by the National Medical Commission.”

    In their meeting with the health minister, the IMA also suggested that doctors should be allowed to attend conferences sponsored by pharmaceutical companies or the allied health sector.

    They said the regulation barring doctors from attending conferences sponsored by pharma companies warranted reconsideration and demanded that associations and organisations be exempted from the purview of NMC guidelines.

    NEW DELHI: The controversial NMC regulation stipulating that all doctors must mandatorily prescribe generic drugs or face a penalty has been put on abeyance.

    On Thursday, the National Medical Commission (NMC) put on hold the ‘Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2023, published on August 2.

    The regulations made it mandatory for all doctors to prescribe generic drugs, failing which they will be penalised, and even their license may be suspended for a period. The other regulation barred them from accepting gifts from pharma companies or endorsing drug brands.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The regulations raised the hackles of the medical fraternity, which slammed the move to regulate them.

    The Indian Medical Association (IMA) vehemently opposed the move and held a two-hour meeting on Monday with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, expressing their concerns.

    Speaking with The New Indian Express, a jubilant IMA National President, Dr Sharad Kumar Agarwal, said they welcome the move and are happy that the health minister understood their concerns and directed the NMC to put the regulations on hold.

    “We are grateful to the minister for being receptive and considering our genuine demands. We want to promise that the entire medical fraternity would work to ensure affordable medical health for the people of this country.”

    “The entire set of 2023 Regulations notified by the NMC has been held in abeyance,” the IMA reposted on X (formerly Twitter).

    ALSO READ | More voices of protest against NMC rules binding doctors to prescribe only generic drugs

    “It’s a triumph that showcases the power of collective efforts and reinforces our association’s significance. Let’s continue to stand united, uphold the values of our noble profession, and work towards a healthcare system,” the IMA reposted.

    The regulation related to generic drugs was slammed by the medical fraternity and  pharma companies, including branded generic and even the pharmacy association. The move was opposed by all the medical associations and bodies, including the Association of Healthcare Providers (AHPI), the National Medicos Organisation, FAIMA Doctors Association and Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association.

    Interestingly, a survey by Local Circles, a community-based social media platform, regarding generic medicine, revealed that just seven per cent of people surveyed agreed with the mandates of doctors prescribing only the generic name of the drugs. At the same time, the rest opposed the move; over 20,000 people were surveyed for the survey.

    Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, past president of IMA Cochin, told The New Indian Express that the move “is welcomed by all doctors.” “Doctors prescribe medications that they have found effective through years of practice. Patients are entitled to get good quality medications. While generics is a good concept overall, unfortunately, because of variation in quality, we are far from implementing a 100% generic prescription in our country.”

    In its notification on Thursday, the NMC said, “That National Medical Commission Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2023, are hereby held in abeyance with immediate effect. That for removal of doubts, it is clarified that the National Medical Commission Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2023, shall not be operative and effective till further Gazette Notification on the subject by the National Medical Commission.”

    In their meeting with the health minister, the IMA also suggested that doctors should be allowed to attend conferences sponsored by pharmaceutical companies or the allied health sector.

    They said the regulation barring doctors from attending conferences sponsored by pharma companies warranted reconsideration and demanded that associations and organisations be exempted from the purview of NMC guidelines.

  • Rajasthan’s medical colleges face cadaver shortage, seek nod to acquire unclaimed bodies

    By PTI

    KOTA: Medical college authorities have sought the Rajasthan government’s permission to claim bodies of the destitute and those abandoned in shelter homes amid a crippling shortage of cadavers for students.

    Medical colleges in Kota and Jhalawar are grappling with a severe shortage of cadavers, being forced to manage practical studies by grouping students together.

    Government Medical College – Kota is conducting practical classes for its 250 students with 8 to 10 cadavers.

    Government Medical College – Jhalawar, on the other hand, has only six cadavers for its 200 students.

    This practice, however, runs contrary to the Medical Council of India — now the National Medical Commission — guidelines of one cadaver for 10 students.

    Cadavers are human bodies used by medical students, physicians and other scientists to study anatomy, identify disease sites and determine causes of death.

    Most state-run medical colleges in Rajasthan and across India rely on donations for cadavers.

    Accepting the shortage of cadavers, Government Medical College – Jhalawar Dean Shiv Bhagwan Sharma said he wrote to the state government two months ago to request permission for claiming bodies from shelter homes.

    Manoj Sharma, nodal officer of the body donation programme at Government Medical College – Jhalawar, said almost all colleges across the state, including private ones, were facing the cadaver shortage.

    However, SMS Medical College — the biggest hospital in the state — in Jaipur and RNT Medical College in Udaipur are exceptions.

    Udaipur’s location on the border with Gujarat enables it to acquire cadavers for students, he said.

    Dean Sharma proposed coordinating with shelter homes to claim bodies of the destitute and abandoned people who die of natural causes, he said.

    However, the state government is yet to respond to the proposal.

    Sharma asserted that the situation was the same across medical colleges in the state, depriving the students of the opportunity to get a better insight into human anatomy.

    Bharatpur-based NGO Apna Ghar, which provides shelter homes to the destitute and the abandoned, proposed to send bodies to medical studies and wrote to the state government for permission, he added.

    NGO representative Veerpal Singh said about 40 to 50 people died of natural causes in shelter homes every month and it would be fair if the bodies were used for medical studies to benefit hundreds of students. Singh said he had sought consent from the state government for the proposal.

    Green activist Brijesh Vijayvergeya said around five to six quintals of wood were required to perform during last rites.

    Vijayvergeya said donating a body will not only benefit the students but also the environment by conserving forests.

    Arushi Jain, the Anatomy department head at the Government Medical College, Kota, said only 39 bodies had been donated to the medical college since 2010.

    The utility of a body for medical studies is beyond imagination and it is significant for students, she said.

    Gopal Sharma, head of the Anatomy department at Government Medical College – Jhalawar, said campaigns were underway to generate awareness among people about donating bodies.

    KOTA: Medical college authorities have sought the Rajasthan government’s permission to claim bodies of the destitute and those abandoned in shelter homes amid a crippling shortage of cadavers for students.

    Medical colleges in Kota and Jhalawar are grappling with a severe shortage of cadavers, being forced to manage practical studies by grouping students together.

    Government Medical College – Kota is conducting practical classes for its 250 students with 8 to 10 cadavers.

    Government Medical College – Jhalawar, on the other hand, has only six cadavers for its 200 students.

    This practice, however, runs contrary to the Medical Council of India — now the National Medical Commission — guidelines of one cadaver for 10 students.

    Cadavers are human bodies used by medical students, physicians and other scientists to study anatomy, identify disease sites and determine causes of death.

    Most state-run medical colleges in Rajasthan and across India rely on donations for cadavers.

    Accepting the shortage of cadavers, Government Medical College – Jhalawar Dean Shiv Bhagwan Sharma said he wrote to the state government two months ago to request permission for claiming bodies from shelter homes.

    Manoj Sharma, nodal officer of the body donation programme at Government Medical College – Jhalawar, said almost all colleges across the state, including private ones, were facing the cadaver shortage.

    However, SMS Medical College — the biggest hospital in the state — in Jaipur and RNT Medical College in Udaipur are exceptions.

    Udaipur’s location on the border with Gujarat enables it to acquire cadavers for students, he said.

    Dean Sharma proposed coordinating with shelter homes to claim bodies of the destitute and abandoned people who die of natural causes, he said.

    However, the state government is yet to respond to the proposal.

    Sharma asserted that the situation was the same across medical colleges in the state, depriving the students of the opportunity to get a better insight into human anatomy.

    Bharatpur-based NGO Apna Ghar, which provides shelter homes to the destitute and the abandoned, proposed to send bodies to medical studies and wrote to the state government for permission, he added.

    NGO representative Veerpal Singh said about 40 to 50 people died of natural causes in shelter homes every month and it would be fair if the bodies were used for medical studies to benefit hundreds of students. Singh said he had sought consent from the state government for the proposal.

    Green activist Brijesh Vijayvergeya said around five to six quintals of wood were required to perform during last rites.

    Vijayvergeya said donating a body will not only benefit the students but also the environment by conserving forests.

    Arushi Jain, the Anatomy department head at the Government Medical College, Kota, said only 39 bodies had been donated to the medical college since 2010.

    The utility of a body for medical studies is beyond imagination and it is significant for students, she said.

    Gopal Sharma, head of the Anatomy department at Government Medical College – Jhalawar, said campaigns were underway to generate awareness among people about donating bodies.

  • Centre okays lowering cut-off marks by 25 percentile for admission to 2022-23 PG medical courses 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday approved lowering the cut-off marks for admission to PG medical courses for 2022-23 while taking into consideration that a large number of seats had gone vacant in the PG counselling held for the last academic session.

    The reduction in cut-off marks will be by 25 percentile across all categories, official sources told PTI.

    The decision has been taken based on recommendations by the National Medical Commission (NMC), they said.

    Around 1,400 seats had remained vacant mainly in pre- and para-clinical subjects in the last session, the sources said.

    “Since such post-graduate seats going vacant is a sheer wastage of resources in a country where postgraduate medical seats are premium, a decision to reduce cut-off for admission to post-graduate courses for 2022 23 by 25 percentile across all categories has been taken,” an official source said.

    In a meeting held on October 14, the NMC recommended a reduction in the qualifying percentile for post-graduate courses for 2022.

    Going by the reduction of cut-off marks by 25 percentile across all categories, the revised qualifying percentile/cutoff for general category candidates would be 25 percentile, for people with disabilities in the general category (PWD-general) it would be 20 percentile, and 15 percentile for both the SC/ST/OBC and people with disabilities in the SC/ST/OBC category, an official source said.

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday approved lowering the cut-off marks for admission to PG medical courses for 2022-23 while taking into consideration that a large number of seats had gone vacant in the PG counselling held for the last academic session.

    The reduction in cut-off marks will be by 25 percentile across all categories, official sources told PTI.

    The decision has been taken based on recommendations by the National Medical Commission (NMC), they said.

    Around 1,400 seats had remained vacant mainly in pre- and para-clinical subjects in the last session, the sources said.

    “Since such post-graduate seats going vacant is a sheer wastage of resources in a country where postgraduate medical seats are premium, a decision to reduce cut-off for admission to post-graduate courses for 2022 23 by 25 percentile across all categories has been taken,” an official source said.

    In a meeting held on October 14, the NMC recommended a reduction in the qualifying percentile for post-graduate courses for 2022.

    Going by the reduction of cut-off marks by 25 percentile across all categories, the revised qualifying percentile/cutoff for general category candidates would be 25 percentile, for people with disabilities in the general category (PWD-general) it would be 20 percentile, and 15 percentile for both the SC/ST/OBC and people with disabilities in the SC/ST/OBC category, an official source said.

  • MBBS books in local languages soon, NMC to take lead role

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh may be the first state to roll out textbooks in Hindi for medical students, but medicine will soon be taught in the country in regional languages as well. The High Powered Committee for Promotion of Indian Languages under the Ministry of Education has already initiated dialogues with the National Medical Commission (NMC), state medical councils, medical universities and colleges and also doctors and professors, on preparing medical syllabus in Hindi and other regional languages, Chamu Krishna Shastry, the committee’s chairman, told this newspaper.

    Shastry said that the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University Vice Chancellor, Dr Sudha Seshayyan M.S., has already started preparing a glossary on medical terms in Tamil.  He added that Home Minister Amit Shah will release the country’s first MBBS syllabus in Hindi for students on October 16. Hopefully, other states will follow suit, he said.

    “They (MP) have prepared textbooks for first-year MBBS students. They are working on preparing the rest of the medical course books. The main aim is to bring medical textbooks in Hindi and other regional languages,” Shastry added. While teaching in English will continue, students will have the option to study both  in Hindi and their regional language.

    The idea behind the initiative is that 90 per cent of patients don’t know English. “A large section of the students also come after having studied in their mother tongue, and all of a sudden, when they start medical education in English medium they find it difficult to comprehend medical language,” Shastry added.

    “Students from rural areas would like to work in their hometowns or villages. So we will be able to create a workforce catering to rural healthcare facilities. The quality of the books won’t be compromised,” Shastry said. 

    However, the plan has drawn flak from the medical fraternity. Dr Rohan Krishnan, president, FAIMA Doctors Association, said that it will affect the students adversely. “Medical education needs to be at par with international guidelines and bodies,” he said, adding that students will get confused and the quality will fall.

    Dr Furquan Ahmad, former joint secretary of Resident Doctors Association, RML, tweeted, “Teaching MBBS in Hindi is a regressive step. Hyper Nationalism is the root cause. Tomorrow, they will demand to launch it in Sanskrit, but what’s the point of writing English words in Devnagari script for political agenda? NMC is a complete failure.” 

    Dr Manish Jangra, FAIMA founding member, said doctors, after completion, will find themselves unfamiliar with guidelines and will have to depend on poor salaries.

    NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh may be the first state to roll out textbooks in Hindi for medical students, but medicine will soon be taught in the country in regional languages as well. The High Powered Committee for Promotion of Indian Languages under the Ministry of Education has already initiated dialogues with the National Medical Commission (NMC), state medical councils, medical universities and colleges and also doctors and professors, on preparing medical syllabus in Hindi and other regional languages, Chamu Krishna Shastry, the committee’s chairman, told this newspaper.

    Shastry said that the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University Vice Chancellor, Dr Sudha Seshayyan M.S., has already started preparing a glossary on medical terms in Tamil.  He added that Home Minister Amit Shah will release the country’s first MBBS syllabus in Hindi for students on October 16. Hopefully, other states will follow suit, he said.

    “They (MP) have prepared textbooks for first-year MBBS students. They are working on preparing the rest of the medical course books. The main aim is to bring medical textbooks in Hindi and other regional languages,” Shastry added. While teaching in English will continue, students will have the option to study both  in Hindi and their regional language.

    The idea behind the initiative is that 90 per cent of patients don’t know English. “A large section of the students also come after having studied in their mother tongue, and all of a sudden, when they start medical education in English medium they find it difficult to comprehend medical language,” Shastry added.

    “Students from rural areas would like to work in their hometowns or villages. So we will be able to create a workforce catering to rural healthcare facilities. The quality of the books won’t be compromised,” Shastry said. 

    However, the plan has drawn flak from the medical fraternity. Dr Rohan Krishnan, president, FAIMA Doctors Association, said that it will affect the students adversely. “Medical education needs to be at par with international guidelines and bodies,” he said, adding that students will get confused and the quality will fall.

    Dr Furquan Ahmad, former joint secretary of Resident Doctors Association, RML, tweeted, “Teaching MBBS in Hindi is a regressive step. Hyper Nationalism is the root cause. Tomorrow, they will demand to launch it in Sanskrit, but what’s the point of writing English words in Devnagari script for political agenda? NMC is a complete failure.” 

    Dr Manish Jangra, FAIMA founding member, said doctors, after completion, will find themselves unfamiliar with guidelines and will have to depend on poor salaries.

  • NMC directs all medical colleges to take care of PG students’ mental health, well-being

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) on Wednesday directed medical colleges to impart post-graduate courses to ensure their students’ mental health and well-being by ensuring they get adequate rest, weekly offs, counselling, sanctioned leaves and conducive working environment.

    The Commission has also asked these colleges to submit action-taken reports on the issue and the practice they follow, with special mention of cases of suicide, gender bias and incidences of dishonour to a woman’s decency.

    The Commission’s directions came following grievances from Post Graduate (PG) resident doctors stating that they are under stress and depression due to long working hours, no weekly off, non-sanctioning of leave during emergencies etc. 

    The issue has been flagged in the print media and also raised in Parliament, said the president of the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB), NMC, Dr Vijay Oza, in his letter to directors/principals/deans of the medical colleges and institutions imparting post-graduate courses in the country.

    The PGMEB, in a meeting on June 28, discussed the grievances and decided that all medical colleges should take care of the mental health and well-being of the PG students by ensuring they get adequate rest, weekly offs, and counselling if necessary. 

    The institutions should arrange yoga sessions regularly, sanction leaves when required and respect the dignity of the students by providing a positive and conducive working environment, the board decided.

    It also suggested that a committee may be constituted to look into the complaints/grievances, including anonymous complaints/grievances which may be submitted by PG students either through mail or received in a drop box, specially placed for this purpose.

    “A healthy and stress-free resident doctor is critical not only for his/her well-being but also for the well-being of the patients he/she treats,” the letter said.

    Welcoming the move, FAIMA Doctors Association, in a tweet, said, “We appreciate the move by the NMC and union ministry of health for issuing an advisory to all medical colleges of PG students and giving them suitable relief as and when required.”

    NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) on Wednesday directed medical colleges to impart post-graduate courses to ensure their students’ mental health and well-being by ensuring they get adequate rest, weekly offs, counselling, sanctioned leaves and conducive working environment.

    The Commission has also asked these colleges to submit action-taken reports on the issue and the practice they follow, with special mention of cases of suicide, gender bias and incidences of dishonour to a woman’s decency.

    The Commission’s directions came following grievances from Post Graduate (PG) resident doctors stating that they are under stress and depression due to long working hours, no weekly off, non-sanctioning of leave during emergencies etc. 

    The issue has been flagged in the print media and also raised in Parliament, said the president of the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB), NMC, Dr Vijay Oza, in his letter to directors/principals/deans of the medical colleges and institutions imparting post-graduate courses in the country.

    The PGMEB, in a meeting on June 28, discussed the grievances and decided that all medical colleges should take care of the mental health and well-being of the PG students by ensuring they get adequate rest, weekly offs, and counselling if necessary. 

    The institutions should arrange yoga sessions regularly, sanction leaves when required and respect the dignity of the students by providing a positive and conducive working environment, the board decided.

    It also suggested that a committee may be constituted to look into the complaints/grievances, including anonymous complaints/grievances which may be submitted by PG students either through mail or received in a drop box, specially placed for this purpose.

    “A healthy and stress-free resident doctor is critical not only for his/her well-being but also for the well-being of the patients he/she treats,” the letter said.

    Welcoming the move, FAIMA Doctors Association, in a tweet, said, “We appreciate the move by the NMC and union ministry of health for issuing an advisory to all medical colleges of PG students and giving them suitable relief as and when required.”

  • Persecuted minorities from Pakistan get chance to practise medicine in India; NMC invites applications

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has opened the doors for persecuted minorities from Pakistan, who fled the country and entered India on or before December 31, 2014, to practise medicine here.

    It has invited applications from such people who have obtained Indian citizenship for the grant of permanent registration to practise modern medicine or allopathy.

    According to a public notice issued by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UMEB) of the NMC on Friday, the shortlisted applicants will be allowed to appear in an examination to be conducted by the commission or an agency authorised by it.

    The NMC had formed a group of experts in June to frame guidelines for a proposed test to enable the medical graduates among the persecuted minorities from Pakistan, who migrated and took Indian citizenship, to acquire permanent registration for practising medicine here.

    According to the UMEB, the applicant must possess a valid medical qualification and must have practised medicine in Pakistan prior to his migration to India.

    The last date for the submission of the applications is September 5.

    The applicants have been advised to strictly follow the instructions given for filling up the online application through a link provided on the NMC website.

    Offline applications shall not be considered by the commission, the public notice said.

    All applications will be scrutinised by the commission in consultation with the agencies and departments concerned.

    “Shortlisted applicants will be allowed to appear in the examination, to be conducted by the commission or any agency authorised by the commission.”

    “Applicants who qualify the examination shall be eligible for grant of permanent registration to practise modern medicine or allopathy in India,” the notice stated.

    The NMC notification on the formation of the Group of Experts, issued on June 20, read: “It is hereby stated that Ministry of Health through its holistic endeavour decided that appropriate guidelines or regulations may be framed to give effect to the decision of conducting proposed examination for persecuted minorities migrating from Pakistan under the direct supervision of National Medical Commission to test their knowledge of modern medicine and granting permanent registration to practise medicine in India.”

    NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has opened the doors for persecuted minorities from Pakistan, who fled the country and entered India on or before December 31, 2014, to practise medicine here.

    It has invited applications from such people who have obtained Indian citizenship for the grant of permanent registration to practise modern medicine or allopathy.

    According to a public notice issued by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UMEB) of the NMC on Friday, the shortlisted applicants will be allowed to appear in an examination to be conducted by the commission or an agency authorised by it.

    The NMC had formed a group of experts in June to frame guidelines for a proposed test to enable the medical graduates among the persecuted minorities from Pakistan, who migrated and took Indian citizenship, to acquire permanent registration for practising medicine here.

    According to the UMEB, the applicant must possess a valid medical qualification and must have practised medicine in Pakistan prior to his migration to India.

    The last date for the submission of the applications is September 5.

    The applicants have been advised to strictly follow the instructions given for filling up the online application through a link provided on the NMC website.

    Offline applications shall not be considered by the commission, the public notice said.

    All applications will be scrutinised by the commission in consultation with the agencies and departments concerned.

    “Shortlisted applicants will be allowed to appear in the examination, to be conducted by the commission or any agency authorised by the commission.”

    “Applicants who qualify the examination shall be eligible for grant of permanent registration to practise modern medicine or allopathy in India,” the notice stated.

    The NMC notification on the formation of the Group of Experts, issued on June 20, read: “It is hereby stated that Ministry of Health through its holistic endeavour decided that appropriate guidelines or regulations may be framed to give effect to the decision of conducting proposed examination for persecuted minorities migrating from Pakistan under the direct supervision of National Medical Commission to test their knowledge of modern medicine and granting permanent registration to practise medicine in India.”

  • Entrance test for foreign medical graduates to be conducted on June 4: NBEMS

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on Tuesday announced conducting the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) on June 4. The move will help students evacuate from Ukraine. The result will be announced by June 30, it said.

    “The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences shall conduct the FMGE June 2022 on June 4 on a computer-based platform at test centres across the country,” the Board said. It also said that applications could be submitted online from March 15 to April 4.

    According to Dr Rohan Krishnan, national president of Federation of All India Medical Association, “This is a good and a welcome move and was announced keeping in mind the Ukraine returnees. It will help students who have returned from Ukraine and have completed their final exams. The announcement shows that the government wants to accommodate these Ukraine evacuees.”

    The National Medical Commission (NMC) had earlier allowed foreign medical graduates who could not complete their internship due to COVID or war to complete it in India. The Commission had also asked the state medical councils to process the applications of such foreign return interns who have cleared the FMGE, a must to pursue medicine in India.  

  • Foreign MBBS graduates could need double internships to practice in India

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Securing registration to practice medicine in India could get tougher for students pursuing medicine abroad as they will now be required to do double internships — once in the country where they got the MBBS and again in India — as per new norms about to be released.

    About 10,000-12,000 students from the country go abroad every year to pursue MBBS.

    As of now, these medical graduates, except those who get their degrees in US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, are required to clear the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination and do a mandatory one-year internship in a recognised Indian medical college before they can get their registration. 

    Most of them, however, do not do internships abroad and return to India after completing 4.5 years of the MBBS degree.

    Aruna V Vanikar, president of the undergraduate medical education board at the National Medical Commission, told this newspaper that the process of issuing licenses to such graduates is being made more “stringent” as part of a reform push in medical education.

    “As of now, there are instances of medical graduates with just 3-3.5 years from many sub-standard colleges abroad and we need to put a stop to such cases,” she said. Vanikar added that these graduates will have to spend at least 15-18 months following their degree before they can get a license to practice.The guidelines are expected this week for public feedback before the final notification.

    Starting 2023, when the National Exit Test gets implemented, all final-year medical students will need to take it in two steps. All local MBBS students will start internships in the colleges where they graduated. Foreign students successful in the NEXT step 1 exam will have internships in designated sites.

    After a mentor-certified internship, they will need to appear for the NEXT step 2 exam and can get a license only after clearing it. Medical education activist Vivek Pandey said that the new proposal may make it more difficult for foreign medical graduates to pursue a career in India.

    Poor scores in FMGEs

    The passing percentage in the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination for students who get their MBBS abroad is just 10-20% every year. The FMGE is a prerequisite to get a license for medical practice in India

  • Non-MBBS teachers in medical colleges staring at an uncertain future

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:   A year after nearly 6,000 non-medical teachers in medical colleges knocked at the door of Union health ministry fearing job crisis as the National Medical Commission reduced the ceiling for their appointment, the government is yet to take a view on the matter.

    While teachers of clinical subjects in medical colleges are always doctors with MBBS and MS/MD degrees, there are others in the non-clinical subjects with medical MSc or PhDs who are not doctors but their designations range from tutor to professor and even head of departments.

    Last year, in the regulations released by the medical education regulator, the permissible intake of non-medical faculty had come down from 30% to 15% in anatomy and physiology, from 50% to 15% in biochemistry, and from 30% to 0% in microbiology and pharmacology.

    Opposing this, the National MSc Medical Teachers Association (NMMTA), the body representing non medical teachers, had pleaded with the health ministry to get the decision changed in order to address faculty crisis in institution as well as to help the existing teachers.

    The ministry, however, seems to have turned a blind eye to their petition. Association members pointed out that the Teachers Eligibility and Qualifications guidelines of the previous regulator, Medical Council of India, allowed higher intakes of non-medical teachers to teach pre and para clinical subjects.

    Sridhar Rao, president of NMMTA, pointed out that while there has been an increase in MD seats in the non-clinical subjects, 40-50% of them remain vacant each year, which would only mean that the faculty shortage is likely to continue. “The shortages are more pronounced in the colleges located in rural, remote or hilly areas where the availability of medical teachers is generally poor,” he added.

    He also said that while rejecting a prior proposal to do away with the provision of appointing MSc/PhD teachers, the Board of Governors in supersession of the MCI in January, 2020 had cited the shortage of faculty in institutions.

  • Medical colleges asked to amend unscientific information about LGBTQIA+ in textbooks

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Medical institutions in India should not teach in a way that comes across as insulting or derogatory to those belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community and authors of medical textbooks must amend all “unscientific information,” the National Medical Commission said on Wednesday.

    Based on the Madras HC judgment from last month,  the advisory dated October 13, 2021, says: “All the medical colleges, universities, and institutions are requested that while teaching UG and PG students wherever the issue of gender or similar kind of arise, the mention of Clinical history or complaints or sign or symptoms, examination findings or history about nomenclature shall not be taught in such a way that it becomes/perceived in any way derogatory or discriminatory or insulting to LGBTQIA+ community”.

    The NMC advisory will be applicable for all medical colleges, universities, and higher PG institutions. The Commission has further advised that the authors of medical textbooks make amends to information pertaining to the virginity of LGBTQIA members and follow the available scientific literature and guidelines that have been issued by the government and are based on the directions of the court. 

    The educational institutions, meanwhile, have been asked to reject textbooks that have unscientific, derogatory and discriminatory information about the LGBTQIA+ community.

    As per the available data, there are 542 medical colleges and 64 PG medical institutions in India. 

    A survey, conducted by Ipsos Research Pvt Ltd, in India this year shows that 3% of the Indian population identified as homosexual (including gay and lesbian), 9% identified as bisexual, 1% identified as pansexual and 2% identified as asexual.

    Reshama Prasad, a member of the National Council for Transgender Persons, hailed this decision as much needed for the sake of the human dignity and rights of LGBTQIA people. 

    The Madras High Court last month observed that medical courses in India reaffirm queerphobia and discrimination against LGBTQIA+ communities and called for necessary reforms in the medical curriculum.