PG medicos Stipend issue: Doctor Writes to NMC Chairman, seeks Intervention

New Delhi: Raising the issue of stipend for postgraduate medical students, the Health Activist Dr. KV Babu has now written to the Chairman of the National Medical Commission (NMC) and sought his intervention in the matter.

This comes after the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of NMC revealed the data regarding the outcome of the NMC survey in private medical colleges across the country to ensure how much stipend the students were receiving.

Writing to the NMC Chairman, the Health activist Dr. KV Babu, who has been raising the issue of stipend for MBBS and PG medical students through RTI applications, pointed out in the letter dated August 25, 2023 that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had earlier asked NMC to derecognise the medical colleges for not following the regulations on the issue of stipend. 

Further pointing out that NMC only issued warning to the medical colleges not following the regulations, he mentioned in the letter, "This is dereliction of duty on the part of the PGMEB of the NMC."

Speaking to Medical Dialogues in this regard, Dr. Babu added, "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. The warning for action against future non-compliance is a meek surrender by the regulatory body."

Also Read: NMC to conduct survey on medical college stipends, here is how MBBS, PG medicos can participate

The Apex medical commission conducted the survey on the directive of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). NHRC took cognisance of the matter after a student of Malabar Medical College, Kozhikode filed a complaint and alleged that the House Surgeons are paid inadequate stipend, in violation of Government order. It was claimed in the complaint that the house surgeons are paid Rs 8500 as stipend per month and out of this Rs 2500 is deducted towards mess charges.

While considering the matter, NHRC issued directions to NMC on March 7, 2023, to conduct a survey in private medical colleges across the country to ensure how much stipend the students were receiving.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that complying with the NHRC directions, NMC decided to conduct a survey regarding the amount of stipend paid to the intern and resident doctors belonging to the private medical colleges across the country.

NMC created a Google form asked all the UG students enrolled in MBBS internship to fill it up. Apart from the UG MBBS Interns, the PG medical students have also been requested to fill up the form by May 7, 2023.

Earlier, in response to an RTI application filed by Dr. KV Babu, NMC clarified that round 28,800 MBBS interns and Postgraduate students in self-financed medical colleges participated in the online survey conducted by the NMC and submitted their responses regarding the amount of stipend being paid to them.

Recently, the PG Medical Board of NMC issued an advisory and informed that 10,178 responses were received from PG medical students and the responses revealed that altogether 2110 PG students of various private medical colleges across the country were not receiving any stipend.

While 4288 students stated that they were not being paid equal stipend with the students of government medical colleges in the respective states, 1228 students submitted that the stipend paid to them by colleges/institutes is taken back by the management.

NMC also issued a warning to the medical colleges to pay stipends to postgraduate medical students in compliance with Regulation 13 of the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000. Further, the Commission clarified that it will take action against such institutes for non-compliance with the provisions of the PGMER 2000 Regulations, if any complaint is received in future.

Referring to the NMC response, Dr. KV Babu has now written to the NMC Chairman and pointed out that the results of the survey among PG doctors is not surprising as it says that a total of 3338 PG doctors (2110+1228) did not receive any stipend at all. Further, 4288 PG doctors claimed that they received a stipend that was not equal to the stipend paid in the Government Medical Colleges.

In the letter, Dr. Babu also referred to Section 13.3 of PG Medical Education Regulations 2000, which states that “The Post Graduate students undergoing Post Graduate Degree/Diploma/Super-Specialty course shall be paid stipend on par with the stipend being paid to the Post Graduate students of State Government Medical Institutions / Central Government Medical Institutions, in the State/Union Territory where the institution is located. Similarly, the matter of grant of leave to Post Graduate students shall be regulated as per the respective State Government rules.”

He also pointed out that NHRC in its order dated March 7, 2023, clearly directed the Commission to derecognise the medical colleges for not following the regulations.

"Shockingly, the PGMEB of the NMC just warned the Medical Colleges not following the regulations in future, leave alone the payment of arrears / derecognising them! This is dereliction of duty on the part of the PGMEB of the NMC. I request the Chairman of the NMC to intervene in the matter & do the needful," he mentioned in the letter.

Also Read: 2110 PG medicos not receiving stipend: NMC issues stern warning to Private medical colleges