NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) on Friday said voluntary medical duty during the upcoming Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand will count toward the mandatory District Residency Programme (DRP) for postgraduate medical students.
NMC chairman Dr BN Gangadhar said that the participation of PG medical students was voluntary.
Post graduate medical students must complete three months of service in district health systems to gain hands-on experience under the DRP made mandatory by NMC from 2021.
The Char Dham Yatra, starting April 30 and running till October, includes visits to four sacred Hindu sites in Uttarakhand — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath, and Kedarnath. Last year, around 30 lakh pilgrims took part, according to state’s data.
“Unlike other places, the health needs will be under different circumstances. People will be exposed to high altitude-related medical complications. This will provide a new opportunity for the training of postgraduates. The government of Uttarakhand has also appealed for healthcare services to be supported by other resources. Several post graduate doctors are also volunteering to serve,” said a circular issued by NMC secretary Dr Raghav Langer on Friday
Dr Lakhshya Mittal, president of the United Doctors Front, a network of resident doctors, lauded the move but said, “I strongly urge NMC to ensure robust oversight and real-time monitoring of DRP.”
{{/usCountry}}Dr Lakhshya Mittal, president of the United Doctors Front, a network of resident doctors, lauded the move but said, “I strongly urge NMC to ensure robust oversight and real-time monitoring of DRP.”
{{/usCountry}}Aviral Mathur, a senior member of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), another group of resident doctors, said, “Those volunteering for medical services during the Yatra must be incentivized over and above their DRP stipend. There is no need for students to do DRP at religious places instead of peripheral district healthcare settings”.
Asked, NMC chairman Gangadhar said the commission was not forcing any student to volunteer. “Students’ medical services during the Yatra will be considered under the DRP. Their medical colleges offer stipend to them during DRP and no additional stipend would be given during the volunteer services,” he told HT.
In the notice, Langer said the move was a “unique opportunity of learning a different area” and added that nodal officers of the states would facilitate students’ voluntary postings to help the health authorities of Uttarakhand.