Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Jan 21: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued clarifications on the queries raised by the Medical Colleges on the implementation of the District Residency Program (DRP), noting that the provisions for three months District Residency Programme (DRP) in the district health system for the PG students of broad speciality have been incorporated in the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2000 (PGMER-2000).
As per the NMC, after the meeting with various representatives for implementation of the program, clarifications have been sought on certain issues faced by them. “The doubts raised by the various stakeholders have been duly examined… and accordingly, clarifications have been given… and the concerned are requested to take action accordingly.”
Concerning the implementation of the DPR, NMC said that the program is mandatory for all the students admitted in the 2021 batch onwards and that the same is also mandatory for students admitted in private medical colleges and deemed universities.
On the query regarding the less number of District Hospitals to accommodate the number of PG students, the NMC said that for the programme, a District Hospital shall be a functional public sector/government-funded hospital of not less than 100 beds with facilities/staff for the designated specialities at that level/facility.
“For the program, the District Health System shall also include all public sector/government-funded hospitals and facilities (including community health centres, primary health centres, sub-health centres, urban health centres etc.), as well as community outreach system in a district and would also include district system engaged in running respective public health services.”
Regarding the accommodation for the students when the District Hospitals are far away, the NMC said that the Governments shall provide appropriate amenities to the District Residents, including amongst others, suitable accommodation, transportation to the workplace (if living quarters are far away), security, especially for lady residents. “Accommodation could be utilizing government premises or that rented by concerned State Govt and should conform to prescribed norms.”
On the query from the Medical Colleges, whether the PG students can be posted in the District Hospital in the speciality where that speciality department exists but specialized Doctors are not available in the District Hospitals and in such cases, who will guide the PG students during their district residency under DRP, NMC stated that during the rotation, the District Resident will be posted with the concerned/aligned speciality team/unit at the District Hospital, and will be trained under the overall guidance of the District Specialists.
It also stated that the District Resident will work under the overall directions and supervision of the District Residency Programme Coordinator (DRPC). “The clinical responsibilities assigned to the Residents would include serving in outpatient, inpatient, casualty and other areas, and encompass night duties.”
About the query if the students of other medical colleges can be deputed in the District Hospitals where medical colleges are already linked to these District Hospitals and if the PG students can be posted for DRP in those District Hospitals which have been recently converted to the medical colleges for imparting only MBBS Courses, the NMC stated conformed to the same stating, provided that training is periodically monitored and is comparable to the PG training in a medical college hospital.
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