GMC Jammu gets NBEMS accreditation to strat DNB Psychiatry programme

Dr Manu Arora, the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at GMC Jammu told Medical Dialogues, " DNB Psychiatry has been a long-sought dream for us. The program was supposed to take place last year but it got delayed due to COVID as inspections could not be made during the pandemic. The concerned authorities conducted an inspection of the facility last year. After the inspection, the authorities were satisfied with our faculty, training facilities, consultants, and infrastructure. Hence, they have provided us a provisional accreditation for five years. The agreement will be signed with the next 10 days. "

Dr Rakesh Banal, the senior consultant for the facility told Medical Dialogues, " The initiative was taken in 2019, February. I express my gratitude towards Dr. Sashi Sudan Sharma, Principal GMC, and the Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education, Mr. Atal Duloo for giving us all the support that we needed to start the programme."

Commenting on the importance of the programme, he stated, " Our Psychiatry Department is the only department that accepts patients from all the districts of Jammu and its neighbouring region. Almost 80% of people with mental health problems in the region are not even assessed due to a lack of the availability of experts. Now, that we have been successful in introducing the programme, we will finally be able to produce enough psychological experts so that no patient suffering from psychological problems remain untreated in the region."

As per the information provided by the doctors, the NBEMS has granted Provisional Accreditation to the Department of Psychiatry at GMC Jammu for a period of up to five years which is, from January 2021 to December 2025 to provide to start thePost Graduate training facilities for up to 2 DNB- Post MBBS and 2 DNB- Post Diploma Seats each year in the speciality, and for that, an agreement has been sent to the GMC, Jammu. The doctors in the Department of Psychiatry who have been selected as Senior Consultants for the DNB – Psychiatry Programme included Dr. Manu Arora, Dr. Rakesh Banal, and Dr. Rajinder Kumar. Dr. Rameshwar Singh Manhas has been appointed as the Junior Consultant. Dr. Arora further informed that the DNB Psychiatry programme will start accepting students by this session after the NEET is conducted.

The Doctor also informed that the Senior Consultants who will work in the hospital on a full-time basis can be guide/co-guide of NBEMS trainees in the respective department. They will be eligible as PG teachers as per NBEMS criteria and can be Guide for a maximum of two NBEMS trainees in an academic year and can be Co-Guide to other NBEMS trainees in the department also. Moreover, the Junior Faculty members will only be allowed to co-guide an NBEMS trainee in the applicant department. Senior and Junior Faculty can only be co-guides to NBEMS trainees of other departments.

The accreditation has been granted to the department on a provisional basis. The accreditation granted shall be reviewed annually by NBEMS during the accredited period to ensure that the facility is maintaining the minimum standards of faculty, training facilities & infrastructure, as suggested by NBEMS. It has also been stated in the agreement that the accreditation may be withdrawn, if, at any time, it is found that, the hospital is not complying with the accreditation criteria as determined by NBEMS.