Allow docs to verify, sign X-rays: Experts

The first-ever meeting of the Vision Group for Healthcare Education, Research and Innovation, on Monday, discussed several issues affecting the medical and healthcare system in the state.

The Vision group, set up by the department of medical education recently and headed by Dr Devi Shetty of Narayana Health, has several practising specialists as members.

The meeting was chaired by Medical Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan. Concerns were raised over various issues including poor healthcare facility in rural Karnataka Members expressed concern over the shortage of radiologists in the state and in the country. They requested the government to amend the existing law and allow MBBS doctors and other specialists to do a one-year course in radiology so that they can do basic investigations.

They said doctors were not allowed to examine or sign even x-rays of patients, despite years of experience.

Devi Shetty said, “I see more chest X-rays than a radiologist, but I am not allowed to sign the report. No MBBS doctor is allowed to interpret a chest X-ray.”

“India has only 10,500 radiologists. If we drive 20 km from the city, we do not find a single radiologist,” he said.

Experts expressed reservation over the government restricting the college of physician and surgery (CPS) to government hospitals. “There are several seats getting wasted under CPS. Why can’t the government extend it to private hospitals?” Shetty said.

As per the data provided by the department of medical education, of the 72 seats available under CPS, only 29 were filled during 2019-20. CPS is a one-year specialisation
programme in a particular subject.

Ashwath Narayan promised to relax CPS norms to overcome the shortage of specialists.

Members demanded that the government legalise telemedicine/online consultation. According to the members, only in Karnataka, it is not legalised.