NEW DELHI: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has urged the National Board of Examinations (NBE) to promptly announce the date for the NEET-PG examination, emphasizing its impact on doctors and patient care.
Dr. Anil Kumar J Nayak, Secretary General of IMA, met with Dr. Abhijat Sheth, President of NBE in Medical Sciences, regarding the abrupt cancellation of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2024, just hours before the scheduled June 23 exam.
Nayak highlighted the challenges and anxiety faced by NEET-PG aspirants due to the sudden postponement, noting that these candidates are practicing doctors or deeply engaged in intensive coaching.
"Unlike NEET UG aspirants, those appearing for NEET-PG are full-fledged doctors either actively working in hospitals or undergoing rigorous coaching," stated a joint statement issued by IMA National President Dr. R V Asokan and Dr. Nayak.
"The disruption in NEET-PG not only impacts the doctors and their services but also disrupts patient care at various healthcare centers," they added.
The IMA expressed confidence that NBE would maintain its standards of fairness and transparency in conducting the examination.
Acknowledging NBE's track record of excellence in conducting medical examinations, the statement emphasized the need for timely rescheduling of NEET-PG.
The Indian Medical Association, with approximately 350,000 member doctors across 1,700 active local branches in 29 states and union territories, represents a significant voice in the medical community.
Earlier assurances from NBE's Director indicated that a new date for NEET-PG would be announced within a week, with the exam to be conducted within two months.
Addressing concerns about the cancellation, he clarified that the decision was precautionary and emphasized NBE's commitment to maintaining the integrity of the NEET-PG examination, which has been successfully conducted for the past seven years.
Recently, the Ministry of Health conducted a review meeting to evaluate the processes involved in conducting NEET-PG exams, underscoring the importance of robust examination procedures.
The sudden cancellation of the exam has sparked frustration among aspirants, as over 2 lakh MBBS graduates were slated to appear for the computer-based exam, competing for approximately 52,000 post-graduation seats nationwide. The exam covers 20 subjects with a total of 200 multiple-choice questions.