NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, SEP 20
All post-graduate students pursuing MD or MS in broad specialities in medical colleges across the country will have to undergo a compulsory residential rotation of three months in district hospitals as part of the course curriculum in the academic session 2020-21.
Such rotation shall take place in the 3rd, 4th or 5th semester of the postgraduate programme.
This rotation shall be termed as ”District Residency Programme” (DRP) and the postgraduate medical student undergoing training shall be termed as a ”District Resident”, the notification issued by the board of governors in super-session of the Medical Council of India (MCI) said.
According to the“Post-graduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2020”, satisfactory completion of the district residency shall be an essential condition before the candidate is allowed to appear in the final examination of the respective postgraduate course.
“All postgraduate students pursuing MD/MS in broad specialities in all Medical Colleges/Institutions under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 shall undergo a compulsory residential rotation of three months in District Hospitals /District Health System as a part of the course curriculum.
“Such rotation shall take place in the 3rd or 4th or 5th semester of the postgraduate programme,” the latest notification read.
The main objectives of the ”District Residency Programme” would be to expose postgraduate students to the District Health System and involve them in health care services being provided at the district hospital for learning while serving, besides acquainting them with the implementation, monitoring and assessment of outcomes of the National Health Programmes at the district level.
The aim is also to orient them to promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services being provided by various categories of healthcare professionals under the umbrella of National Health Mission.
“In doing so, the postgraduate medical students would also be contributing toward strengthening of services of the District Health System as specialty resident doctors working as members of the district teams,” the notification said.
For the purpose of this 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.
The District Health System including the district hospitals constitute the most important part of the country”s public healthcare enterprise. District hospitals represent multi-specialty facilities providing comprehensive secondary level care.
These facilities are a major source of health services for the people, the notification stated.
As a part of the programme, district residents would be trained in and contribute to diagnostic/laboratories services, pharmacy services, forensic services, general clinical duties, managerial roles and public health programmes etc., as applicable.
They may also be posted in research units or facilities, laboratories and field sites of the Indian Council of Medical Research and other national research organizations, the notification stated.
District residents shall continue to draw full stipend/salary from their respective medical colleges for the duration the rotation subject to the attendance record submitted by the appropriate district authorities to the parent medical college/institution, based on methods and system as prescribed.
