Why was respiratory medicine department removed from medical college requirements? Health minister responds in Parliament

New Delhi: Addressing the National Medical Commission's (NMC) decision to drop the Departments of Respiratory Medicine/Pulmonary Medicine as a mandatory requirement for opening a new medical college, the Union Minister of State for Health, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar informed that these subjects such as Respiratory Medicines, are covered by the faculties of General Medicine and allied subjects.

Further, the MoS Health informed the Rajya Sabha that Respiratory Medicine/Pulmonary Medicine still are subjects of specialty and super specialty.

The Minister was responding to the questions raised by parliament member Shri Sanjeev Arora, who sought to know whether the Government identified the issues relating to the recently published Minimum Standards Requirements 2023 regulations for the establishment of a new medical college, published by NMC.

He pointed out that the issues include the lack of phase-wise (year-wise) requirements for establishment of a medical college and the fact that the department of Respiratory Medicine was deleted, even though it is a key speciality for control of respiratory epidemics (like COVID) and in spite of the speciality essential for TB elimination.

M.P Arora questioned if the Government is planning to rectify these issues and if not, whether the Government has labelled the most important department of Respiratory Medicine for UG as non-essential.

Responding to these queries, MoS Health informed that the Minimum Standards Requirements Regulation, 2023 (MSR 23) for establishment of new Medical Colleges was notified by the National Medical Commission(NMC) on 16.08.2023 after due deliberations and consultation.

"As per NMC, the subjects such as Respiratory Medicines, are covered by faculty of General Medicine and allied subjects. Further, the Respiratory Medicine/Pulmonary Medicine remains subject of specialty and Super Specialty," she further added while addressing the matter.

Also Read: NMC Notifies Guidelines for MBBS Course under Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Courses, Increase of Seats, Assessment and Rating Regulations 2023

The "Guidelines for Under Graduate Courses under Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses & Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023" were notified by NMC in August, earlier this year.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that three departments- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR), Respiratory Medicine, and Emergency Medicine were not included in the list of departments that every medical college/institution must have for being approved for undergraduate medical admissions on an annual basis.

Even though the Draft NMC Minimum Standard Requirements for Establishment of New Medical College/Increase of seats in MBBS Course Regulations, 2023 mentioned a list of 24 mandatory departments in the medical colleges, in the final version, NMC curtailed the list to 21 departments, and the departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR), Respiratory Medicine, and Emergency Medicine, which were included in the draft, were eliminated from the mandatory list.

Many doctors were upset with this move and earlier opposing the Commission's decision to remove the Respiratory Medicine Department, the Indian Chest Society had written to the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urging him to reinstate it.

Apart from the Indian Chest Society, several other doctors and experts from government medical colleges across the country had also written to NMC and sought clarity in this regard. Madurai Respiratory Society also expressed concern in this regard.

Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IAPMR) also opposed the Commission's decision to remove the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) department and wrote to the Union Health Minister in this regard.

Also Read: Respiratory Medicine, Emergency Medicine, PMR Depts no longer mandatory to start new medical colleges, Doctors question move