Medical courses overhauled

New Delhi: The medical education regulator has overhauled undergraduate medical education for the first time since 1997.

In the new rules for MBBS education, the National Medical Commission has tightened norms to impart knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and responsiveness to enable grads to function appropriately and effectively as a physician of first contact with the community.

These guidelines come at a time when the medical profession is under a scanner, with several cases of exploitative behaviour toward patients coming to light.

The commission said students must recognize “health for all” as a national goal and the health rights of all citizens, and understand and provide preventive, promotive, curative, palliative and holistic care with compassion. It also called for demonstrating professional ethics and to the practice code of conduct.

The new rules ask for doctors to be familiar with “essential drugs” and their common side-effects and to have sound knowledge of national health policies.

Queries sent to the health ministry spokesperson did not elicit any response.

“About 25 years have passed since the existing Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997 were notified, necessitating a relook at all aspects of the various components in the existing regulations and adapt them to the changing demography, socio-economic context, perceptions, values, advancements in medical education and expectations of stakeholders.

Emerging health care issues, emerging diseases, impact of advances in science and technology and shorter distances on diseases and their management also need consideration. The new regulation, i.e., Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2023, is a continuation and evolution of thought in medical education making it more learner-centric, patient-centric, gender- sensitive, outcome -oriented and environment appropriate,” said a circular issued by the NMC.

Last year, the Income Tax department reported an alleged case of pharma major Micro Labs Ltd, the makers of Dolo 650 mg, offering freebies worth ₹1,000 crore to doctors during the covid pandemic to promote the anti-fever drug.

The regulator has suggested national and institutional goals for undergraduates that they should achieve competence in practice of medicines by learning promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative aspects of common diseases.

The commission said each medical institution should evolve institutional goals to train their students.

“The Indian medical graduates coming out of a medical institute should be competent in diagnosis and management of common health problems, participate as a member of the health team at the primary, secondary or tertiary levels, using their clinical skills based on history, physical examination and relevant investigations. Follow medical professionalism, ethics and code of conduct.”

In April 2023 the National Medical Commission (NMC) submitted in the Delhi High Court that one of two doctors from a Delhi hospital, accused of medical negligence due to which a newborn fell into a vegetative state, does not have recognised qualification to be called a child specialist.

In 2017, the Delhi government cancelled the licence of the top private hospital in Delhi based in Shalimar Bagh, citing medical negligence in a case where the doctors at the hospital wrongly declared dead a newborn baby who was later found to be alive.