Counselling Delayed: Upset NEET PG 2022 Aspirants take to Twitter
New Delhi: Upset with the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) order for rescheduling the counselling for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) examination 2022, the aspirants for Postgraduate medical courses have now started voicing their frustration and anger on Twitter.
The medicos, who have already been waiting for three months for the commencement of the counselling, are heavily criticizing the authorities including the National Medical Commission (NMC) holding them responsible for wasting the time of the medical aspirants.
Extending support to the medicos already the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) have written to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Union Health Minister in this regard. They have appealed before the authorities for expediting the process of counselling.
This comes after the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), operative under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday decided to reschedule the NEET PG counselling.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that issuing notification in this regard, MCC under the DGHS mentioned on its website that the counselling which was set to start from September 1 has been rescheduled considering that the National Medical Commission (NMC) is still in the process of issuing new Letters of Permission, LoP's to the medical colleges for this academic year.
Therefore, the counselling has been delayed so that more MD, MS or PG Diploma seats can be added to the seat matrix accordingly. MCC had also announced that the revised schedule would be released later on its official website.
The MCC notice stated, "The Candidates of NEET-PG, 2022 are informed that the NEET-PG Counselling, 2022 was scheduled to commence from 01/09/2022. However, National Medical Commission (NMC) is in the process of issuing New LoPs for the current academic year and the same will be concluded till 15/09/2022. Hence, in order to include more seats in the counselling for the benefit of the candidates, it has been decided by the Competent Authority to re-schedule the NEET-PG Counselling, 2022 which was scheduled to commence from 01/09/2022."
"The tentative schedule of NEET-PG Counselling, 2022 is being rescheduled. The candidates are advised to keep in touch with the MCC website for latest schedule," it added.
However, the candidate are extremely upset with such a decision of the MCC and taking to Twitter they have started expressing their frustration and anger over the issue.
Criticizing NMC, the doctors have started terming the Apex medical body as "incompetent" and blaming the Commission for "wasting one year of every medical aspirant".
Terming it to be a "mockery", a Junior Resident Doctor of AIIMS mentioned, "Lakhs of doctors give NEET PG every year and they have been eagerly waiting for the Counselling to start! Such an insult to the candidates and our healthcare workers!"
"The whole thing is becoming a joke. Is the judiciary going to pull up NMC for hampering patient care due to delay in #neetpg2022counselling !! The fiasco of #NEETPG continues with insensitivity towards medicos & their mental health postponing the schedule just 48 hours before," wrote the Tweet by a cancer doctor and a public speaker.
In fact, taking to Twitter, a NEET PG aspirant has started supporting the decision of some states for abolishing NEET PG. "NEET PG 2022 counselling session postponed.3 months into waiting and yet another disappointment. When students needed more time to prepare for exam, NBE wanted doctors for country at earliest due to shortage. Now exams are done and they are least bothered for counselling to start," wrote a doctor on Twitter.
Some aspirants have started demanding the resignation of the authorities. "Either MM is the most corrupt HM India has ever had or he is so innocent that he can't understand what's happening in #MCC and #NBE. In both cases he should resign and let some other competent leader sit on his chair #NEETPG #neetpg2022counselling," read the Tweet by an MBBS doctor.
In fact, the decision for postponing the counselling has been criticized by the former President of Indian Medical Association (IMA) Dr. J.A. Jayalal. He wrote on Twitter, "What a insensitive and ineffective NMC.After 4 months NEET results, further postponement is asked for failure to do mandatory http://assessment.Total hypo crazy and demoralising the aspirants&Medical Educators. Total change of NMC as a democratic body is the need of the hour."
Recently FORDA wrote to the Union Health Minister requesting to expedite the counselling and stated, "We fail to understand the procedural delays and we stand highly disappointed with this unceremonious attitude of NMC leading to distress among aspirants and junior doctors. It is also highlighted that there has been a lot of chaos in past year leading to a month long protest due to similar indefinite delays in the counselling process. It is also mentioned that the academic session is already delayed by almost 4-5 months, delaying it any further is highly unfavourable not only for medical graduates but also for the health system of the nation."
Similar request has been made by FAIMA Doctors Association. Writing to DGHS, FAIMA stated, "Due to a delay in this counselling, the country is on the verge of its biggest medical crisis. The number of cases COVID-19 is on the rise today. Having a delayed counselling process will result in a shortage of qualified doctors in out country, further compromising patient care. Already overworked doctors will experience physical and mental exhaustion. As a result of such irresponsibility and casual behaviour of concerned people in power towards young doctors, not only is the future of current NEET PG aspirants adversely affected, but it also demotivates the young generation from choosing this noble profession."
