Count additional period of service as Senior Residency: Medicos write to NMC, PMO

New Delhi: Demanding that the additional period be counted towards senior residency and not as junior residency, the group of doctors under the National Medicos Organization have now written to the National Medical Commission (NMC) as well as the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). 

The demand comes in response to the recent notification passed by the NMC asking PG students to continue as resident doctors in the light of the COVID pandemic. 

Medical Dialogues had recently reported that due to the delay in the conduction of NEET PG 2021 and all other medical examinations across the medical institutions, all the PG medical students were asked to continue their services as resident doctors until a fresh batch of MBBS graduates joins to serve, according to the recent advisory released by NMC. The decision had been taken to ensure that there would not be any shortage of Residents to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also Read: PG Students can continue as Residents until fresh batch joins: NMC

Responding to the NMC advisory, the medicos have expressed their concern regarding the Career gap in practice due to the postponement of the final year MD/MS/Diploma/DNB examinations, which were scheduled to be held in the months of April/May 2021. Thus, the medicos have asked for the benefits of Senior residency for the time period served beyond the 3 years of Junior residency.

The medicos have demanded that during the extra period served at the respective trainee hospitals, the junior resident doctors receive salary benefits of Senior Residents and also get experience certificates for the extra-time served.

The medicos have also asked the concerned authorities to issue necessary guidelines so that the working hours of the doctors won't exceed 48 hours, as it could lead to undue fatigue and ultimately compromise patient care.

Requesting to address the concerns faced by the residents on a priority basis, the letter signed by All India General Secretary of National Medicos Organization, Dr. Vishwambhar Singh stated, "The residents have deployed in COVID-related duties in their respective trainee hospitals. Hence. it is requested to consider the additional period beyond the 03-year period of residency duration as a part of Senior Residency. They should be given experience certificates to account for the extra period served as well as salary benefits of a first-year senior resident working in the same department."

"This will help in relieving undue psychological and mental stress faced due to dual crisis - Covid as well Career gap in practice," added the letter.

The letter by NMO also included a similar circular by the Gujarat govt to consider the 3 months extension period as part of a senior residency with salary benefits.

Further, the letter mentioned that "The MCI guidelines (pg 26 copy attached) also mention that any period beyond 03 years in the same department should be considered as a part of a senior residency."

Addressing the countless working hours assigned to the doctors to deal with the rising number of Covid-19 patients, the letter states, "It is further requested that extending the working hours beyond 48 hours per week (as per labor laws) will result in undue fatigue and drastically compromise patient care. Hence guidelines could be issued to the concerned authorities to prepare duty rosters accordingly."

Also Read:AIIMS postpones INI CET PG Medical Admissions 2021 amid COVID surge