NMC cannot trace MCI notice on Uniform Stipend issued 3 years ago: RTI

New Delhi: While responding to an RTI application, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has accepted that it could not trace any records regarding a public notice issued in 2019 dealing with the issue of stipend of MBBS interns.

"In this regard, it is stated that the previous records/file pertaining to your RTI application could not be traced, despite all possible efforts," NMC was quoted saying by The Hindu while responding to an RTI application filed by an RTI activist Dr. K V Babu.

Dr. KV Babu had filed the RTI application in January, this year seeking to know the status of the public notice dated January 25, 2019 along with all the comments received, the discussions on the amendments along with the file notes.

In that particular notice dated January 25, 2019, the erstwhile Medical Council of India had addressed the issue of stipend paid in the private institutes and mentioned that the Board of Governors in Supersession of Medical Council of India were considering to include some provisions in the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997.

The provisions as mentioned in the notice stated, "All the candidates pursuing compulsory rotating internship at the institution from which MBBS course was completed, shall be paid stipend on par with the stipend being paid to the interns of the State Govt. Medical Institution/ Central Government Medical Institution in the State/ Union Territory where the Institution is located."

Also Read: Uniform Stipend to MBBS Interns: MCI BOG issues Public Notice, invites Suggestions

MCI had invited comments in the matter within 15 days for bringing the amendment in Regulations for payment of stipend to interns.

In fact Medical Dialogues had also been reporting about the issue of Uniform Stipend Policy across India. Even though the erstwhile MCI had introduced the amendments, they could not materialized because MCI got replaced by the National Medical Commission (NMC). Following this, the demands for a uniform stipend policy has been raised by doctors time and again and the MBBS students belonging to private institutes also continued complaining of not getting stipend by their parent institutes. However, nothing has been done yet by the apex medical regulator to solve this issue.

Recently the RTI activist Dr. KV Babu sought to know about this matter in his RTI application filed in January 2022. Even though the public notice aimed at bringing stipend parity is available in the NMC archives, the medical regulator has informed in the RTI reply, "In this regard, it is stated that the previous records/file pertaining to your RTI application could not be traced, despite all possible efforts."

Dr. KV Babu informed The Hindu that NMC insists doctors to maintain medical records of indoor patients for three years from the date of commencement of treatment. In fact, in case such a request for availing the medical records is made by patients or legal authorities, it is the duty of the authorities to acknowledge them and produce the documents within 72 hours.

Referring to the inability of NMC to produce any details regarding the public notice on stipend, Dr KV Babu mentioned in his Tweet, "It is clear that,the #NMC want to hide more than, that is revealed !" He also warned that "The more you try to hide, the more the number of RTI applications !!"