Doctors urge NMC to take action on FAIMA survey, fix medical education gaps in Jharkhand

Referring to the situation in Jharkhand, the association highlighted that back in 2019, three new medical colleges- PJMCH, SBMCH, and MMCH were opened. However, even after six years, these institutes continue to suffer from inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of faculty, and a lack of basic amenities.

"These shortcomings are simply unacceptable," mentioned the JDA.

Also Read: FAIMA Survey Reveals 40% Doctors Find Workplace Toxic, 73% Face Excessive Workload

Relying on the findings of the survey conducted by Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), the JDA of RIMS Ranchi submitted a set of five key demands for the NMC and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to address urgently. As per the latest media report by The Jharkhand Story, these demands include an immediate intervention by the Union Health Ministry, establishment of a national-level grievance redressal mechanism for resident doctors, improvement in working conditions, welfare, and safety of resident doctors, and regular monitoring and accountability of newly opened medical colleges.

The association mentioned that the resident doctors are "not just the backbone of the healthcare system, but also the future of Indian medical education." Therefore, neglecting their welfare would amount to "a betrayal of the entire healthcare system", warned the association.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has recently unveiled the results of its nationwide FAIMA–Review Medical System (FAIMA-RMS) survey, conducted across medical colleges throughout India.

The extensive survey, which received over 2,000 responses from medical students, teachers, and professors across 28 states and Union Territories, highlighted significant shortcomings in infrastructure, faculty availability, and the quality of training in newly established medical institutions.

The analysis highlighted significant challenges affecting both education and the mental well-being of students. "Only 71.5% of respondents reported adequate patient exposure, 54.3% confirmed regular teaching sessions, and 69.2% found laboratory and equipment facilities satisfactory. Faculty adequacy stood at 68.8%, while just 44.1% reported the presence of functional skills labs. Timely stipend payments were received by only half of the respondents, and a mere 29.5% experienced fixed working hours, indicating a lack of structural and administrative discipline. Alarmingly, 73.9% reported excessive clerical workload, 55.2% cited staff shortages, and 40.8% described their work environment as toxic. Furthermore, 89.4% of participants felt that poor infrastructure directly affects the quality of medical education," said the release issued by the association.

"When comparing institution types, private colleges showed slightly better teaching regularity and faculty strength, while government institutions reported greater patient exposure but heavier administrative burdens. Despite moderate confidence levels in skills acquisition (70.4%), only 57.4% of respondents felt prepared for independent practice, suggesting a growing gap between theoretical learning and practical competence," the findings noted.

Also Read: Over 40 percent medicos call work environment 'toxic', 73 percent report excessive workload: FAIMA Survey