THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of the murder of a medical student on duty, the health department has finally decided to streamline the medical residency and house surgency programmes, to address the concerns of the medicos.
Final-year MBBS and postgraduate students comprise the bulk of the public hospital workforce.
Health Minister Veena George on Friday decided to form a committee to study the problems plaguing medicos. The committee, headed by the secretary of health education, will submit the report in a month.
Following this assurance, the Kerala House Surgeons Association and Kerala Medical Post Graduate Association (KMPGA) decided to end the boycott of emergency services from Friday night.
The path ahead
The newly-formed committee is expected to find solutions to the problems plaguing medical students, including the extra burden of duty, lack of safety, inadequate accommodation, lack of weekly offs, and more. The students have been raising their concerns on the same for years.
Some of the issues can be easily addressed as there’s already a government order on the residency programme manual, 2009. Following the discussion, the Director of Medical Education had issued a circular to all medical colleges to fix the weekly working hours to 60 and ensure weekly off. As per the circular, college principals must also ensure that the College level Grievance Redressal Committee meets monthly.
On night duties
According to the student leaders, the minister has also assured that there would not be any night duties for house surgeons outside the medical colleges till the safety audit of peripheral hospitals is complete.
“Night duties will be resumed only after ensuring security. The students face safety and accommodation problems in the periphery,” said Dr Pranav Pramod, the vice-president of Kerala House Surgeons Association.
A press note from the minister’s office stated that a safety audit would be completed in a time-bound manner and a residency manual would be implemented soon.
However, there was no mention of night duties for students being suspended in the periphery. The student leaders said they are also awaiting a written assurance from the minister.
‘Don’t inconvenience the public’
Urging the students not to inconvenience the public, the Health Minister Veenas George explained the steps taken at the chief minister’s level to ensure security in hospitals. According to the minister, the government is considering an adequate raise in stipend for the students. The minister also assured measures would be taken to prevent crowding by hospital bystanders.
Meeting Outcomes
Committee to study the problems and file a report in a month
SOP for medical residency programme
Order for issuing residency manual
Department heads to ensure weekly off for students
Time-bound completion of safety audits
Set up public address systems in medical colleges
Only one bystander is allowed in wards, two in casualty wards
Set up alarm system
Contacts of the chief security officer publicised
Set up creches in medical colleges
