NEW DELHI: THE medicos and medical associations have asked the National Medical Commission (NMC) to take action against private medical colleges that are not paying the PG students’ salaries on time. The demand came up after a recent NMC survey showed that of the over 7,000 PG students, over 2,000 were not receiving stipends. Most of them are studying in private medical colleges. However, it’s not only the non-payment of stipends, the issue is also a disparity in the amount given to those working in government hospitals compared to private medical colleges.
In a letter to the NMC Chairman, RTI Activist Dr K V Babu he sought his intervention in the matter, which has also been raised by the medical fraternity for the past few years. His letter came after the Postgraduate Medical Education Board of NMC asked the private medical colleges to ensure students receive the stipend. The NMC warned these self-financed/private medical colleges that strict action would be taken against them for non-compliance with the provisions of the PG Medical Education Regulations (PGMER), 2000, if any complaint is received in future. However, medicos said that just “warning” is not enough. The time has come to take “action.”
Kannur-based ophthalmologist Dr Babu said, “The NHRC in its direction of March 2023 have clearly instructed the NMC to deregister the private medical colleges who are refusing to clear the arrears of interns from 1st July 2021.” “Applying the same yardstick, the PGMEB should have directed the self-financing medical colleges of all 19 states and two UTs to clear the arrears of PG medical students /their batches and submit the report to the PGMEB considering the report based on the survey,” added Dr Babu.
Dr. Aviral Mathur, President of the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) said, “The time has come for the NMC to start penalising such private medical hospitals that defy the order. Just a directive is not enough.” The stipend for PG students varies from one state medical hospital to another. It ranges from `45,000 to `95,000. However, private medical hospitals pay PG students even less than `25,000 and some pay them in instalments.
Mathur said though many states have reviewed the stipend paid to PG students who work round the clock, other states are still paying the old amount. Dr Rishi Raj Sinha, National Executive of FAIMA Doctors Association (FAIMA), said they will take up this issue nationally. “We will soon be having a meeting on this with our core committee. We will be getting in touch with all the RDAs in the country,” he said.
The NMC took up the survey in April this year on the directions of the NHRC. An Analysis of 7,901 responses was received from PG students from 213 colleges and 19 states and two UTs. It found that 2,110 students of private medical colleges were not receiving stipends.