Accused of back door entry, NBE issues clarification on relocation of DNB doctors

In the TOI report, the Natboard's accreditation and seat allotment process was questioned upon by the candidates. It was reported that an 'opaque process' is being conducted 'where candidates allotted to institutions that lose accreditation are 'relocated' to those where seats are still vacant.' Candidates have accused the National Board of Examination (NBE) of facilitating such 'back-door entry' for select candidates

A few matters of the relocation of DNB medicos were pointed out in the media report prompting the NBE has issued a case-by-case clarification on the matter.

It was stated in the Times Of India report that the NBE often withdraws accreditation of entire hospitals or of seats in a few specialties after allotment, leaving hundreds of students in the lurch. 'In most such cases, complaints about the hospitals that lose accreditation would have been made months or even years back, but NBE not only includes the seats in these hospitals in the counselling process, it even allots students to them only to later cancel accreditation," it read.

On the Withdrawal of accreditation by NBE, the board has now clarified:

"Based on the Complaints received from the Trainees undergoing training in NBE accredited Institutes and if those Complaints are found to be correct, accreditation of such Institutes in the concerned specialities is withdrawn, after giving ample opportunities for compliance since the withdrawal of accreditation adversely affects even the Trainees. Accreditation is also withdrawn for reasons including but not limited to the closure of the hospital, financial bankruptcy, inability to pay the stipend, lack of faculty, non-grant of renewal of accreditation, etc."

Further, explaining the Policy of relocation, the NBE stated:

In the event of a hospital losing its accreditation, the 1st year trainees have to be mandatorily relocated as the majority of their training cannot be undertaken in a de-accredited hospital. Such relocation is done strictly as per Guidelines for Relocation of Trainees of NBE. The Trainees are provided with the list of all available vacant seats in their specialty at the time of relocation. The relocation is undertaken on a merit cum seat availability basis once the preferences/choices are received from the trainees.

In the first matter of the relocation of two 1st year trainees in Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion from Nayati Hospital, Mathura, TOI stated that these students ranked in the range of 35,000 and were allotted seats. After their admission, the accreditation for Nayati was later cancelled and they were relocated to other hospitals for specialities like radio diagnosis and ophthalmology. Pointing this out, a candidate still awaiting relocation months after accreditation was cancelled has alleged that there is zero transparency on how relocation is done and nothing is put in the public domain.

Refuting this allegation, the Natboard has explained:

The Hospital was accredited by NBE in three specialties which were withdrawn on receipt of complaints. Relocation of the trainees was undertaken in the same specialty as per the relocation policy. However, for two trainees of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion of 2020 admission session, there was no vacant seat of 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017 admission session in their respective fields and all the rounds of counselling including the mop-up round had been completed. Therefore, as a last resort and in the interest of the trainees as there was no fault of any trainee in this matter and they could not have been allowed to suffer, NBE allowed them to choose their specialty and seat from the vacant available left-over seats.

"The roulette of relocation can also work against you", stated the TOI report mentioning one case where a candidate with the rank of around 15,000 was allotted general medicine in Amaltas Medical College (AIMS) in MP in August last year. On November 6, the NBE withdrew the institute's accreditation and offered a general medicine seat in a 200-bed hospital in Hyderabad.

Unhappy with the relocation, the candidate filed a case against the natboard. He informed TOI, "I had chosen a medical college because according to the regulations, if I do DNB from a medical college or a hospital with over 500 beds, I don't need to do an extra year of senior residency to have equivalence with MD/MS. Now, I'm being allocated to a 200-bed hospital, which means I'll have to do an extra year. I've filed a case, but it's a financial loss to fight a case and mental harassment on top of it."

It was further mentioned in the media report that candidates from an earlier batch allocated to Amaltas hospital had complained to NBE about the institution over a year back. 'Yet, NBE included Amaltas' seats in the 2020 counselling with no indication of the complaints or that it was under the scanner and allocated students there, and then went on to cancel its accreditation.'

On this Matter of relocation of Trainee from AIMS, Devas MP to the Thumbey Hospital, Hyderabad, the NBE has clearly stated:

The relocation was done to the only available seat in the area of specialty of the Trainee at the time of relocation i.e. DNB General Medicine. In any case, this matter is sub-judice before the Courts of law.

In another case of relocation, a student with rank around 16,500 was allocated emergency medicine in Columbia Asia Hospital, Bengaluru. The candidate had reportedly chosen Bengaluru as her husband was working in the city. She joined the institute on August 26.

Later, on September 10, NBE conducted an inspection and the accreditation for emergency medicine seats was cancelled by October end. "I was offered a seat in a 200-bed hospital in Ahmedabad and another in Delhi which were at the level of rank 22,000 or less. I was also told that if I didn't join the allotted seat I would be debarred from DNB for three years," she said while speaking to TOI.

On this grievance, the NBE has now clarified:

Accreditation was withdrawn in the specialty of Emergency Medicine and NBE had to relocate the 1st year trainees as per the relocation policy.

To view the official clarification released by the NBE, click here