NMC asks medical colleges to make arrangement for students to watch PM's Pariksha Pe Charcha

The National Medical Commission has asked every medical college to make arrangements for students to watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Pariksha Pe Charcha programme next week after the Union Education Ministry told the Health Ministry that making such arrangements should be accorded “top priority”.

A section of doctors, however, questions the NMC for issuing such a directive arguing that the commission was not acting like an “independent and apolitical body”.

“The National Medical Commission is no more acting like an autonomous body which is independent and apolitical It is sad that the commission established for improving medical education, giving recognition to medical colleges and increasing health care benefits for everyone is issuing such notice,” said Rohan Krishnan, an orthopaedic surgeon and national chairman, Federation of All India Medical Association.

“Rather than thinking about the misery of protesting doctors in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, the NMC is working like a pro government organisation and trying to impress the Prime Minister’s Office.”

The medical education regulator on Friday wrote to medical colleges, requesting them not only to give wide publicity for the programme, but also to make arrangements to watch the live show involving Prime Minister Modi and 1200 students at Talkatora stadium in Delhi on January 27.

The NMC letter comes two weeks after the Education Ministry wrote to the Health Ministry asking the latter to issue instructions to all medical and nursing colleges to make necessary arrangements for viewing / hearing the telecast. “This may be accorded top priority,” Prachi Pandey, a Joint Secretary in the Education Ministry wrote on January 10th.

A week later, the health ministry wrote to the NMC, asking the regulator to take appropriate action.

This would be the sixth edition of the Prime Minister’s interaction with board students during which they ask questions to the Prime Minister on examination stress whereas the Prime Minister shares tips on examination and responds to the queries.

“Instead of working on improving health infrastructure, the NMC is focussing on publicity. The RML Hospital is 500 meter away from the President's House and yet there is scarcity of equipment and medicine for the past six months,” Manish Jangra, a FAIMA member and a skin specialist formerly associated with the RML hospital.

“I condemn this move & urge the commission to work for betterment of doctors and patients,” said Krishnan who works at Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi.