Doctors to Earn Credit Points for Rural Service: MMC introduces new Initiative

Mumbai: In an attempt to encourage doctors' involvement in rural healthcare, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) is soon going to introduce a system, through which doctors will get to earn credit points by participating in medical camps in villages. 

Free Press Journal has reported that this initiative is set to be announced within a week and it is part of the continuing professional development (CPD) program.

Confirming this, the Administrator of MMC, Dr. Vinky Rughwani told the Daily, "Doctors who volunteer in rural medical camps, conduct surgeries, and provide free healthcare services should receive some incentive. The best way to encourage them is by awarding credit points."

Dr. Rughwani informed HT that the Council will soon release a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining the guidelines and added, "All registered medical practitioners providing voluntary free services during free healthcare camps will be eligible."

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Emphasizing how this initiative would not only benefit rural patients but also help doctors fulfill their CPD requirements, Dr. Rughwani told Free Press Journal, "Under the new system, hospitals or charitable organisations hosting medical camps will notify MMC about doctors providing free services for at least three hours, enabling them to earn credit points."

As per the CPD program, the RMPs must earn a minimum of 30 credit points every five years to renew their MMC registration, with a minimum requirement of six credit points per year. The rules further specify that at least 50% of these points must be from the doctor's area of specialisation and that the credit points cannot be carried forward.

Doctors, until now, could earn credit points by attending continuous medical education (CME) seminars, publishing studies, and participating in academic activities. With the new initiative, the doctors will also be able to earn credit points by serving in rural medical camps, conducting free surgeries, and providing healthcare services in rural areas.

Hindustan Times has reported that the decision was taken after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis issued directions in this regard. In a letter directed to the MMC President on January 16, Fadnavis said, "To encourage medical practitioners to engage more in voluntary services to the society, I strongly recommend further modifications in the continuous medical education system to specifically consider, acknowledge and reward voluntary services by the medical practitioners."

Commenting on the matter, the officials pointed out how many people in remote areas suffer from serious diseases but cannot afford travel expenses to seek expert treatment in the city or they altogether neglect the symptoms. However, with this new system, patients in villages and slums will see experienced doctors including specialists in heart disease, cancer, orthopaedics, gynaecology and paediatrics. This will decrease the morbidity and mortality rate due to identification and early treatment.

"This will encourage more doctors, especially specialists, to reach out to patients in need. Many patients in villages of tribal areas never get to see a cardiologist or a cancer specialist. These health camps can be a lifesaver for them," Sharad Shetty, a Health Activist.

FPJ has reported that aiming for better transparency, MMC is set to introduce QR codes for every registered doctor in Maharashtra within two weeks. The QR codes will allow patients to verify a doctor's credentials, including qualifications and MMC registration number.

Referring to this, Dr. Rughwani added, "The initiative is designed to help patients access verified medical professionals and curb treatment by unqualified practitioners."

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