MD/MS students to undergo 3-month mandatory rotational district posting: Centre

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The central government has made it compulsory for all post-graduate students pursuing MD or MS in broad specialities in medical colleges across the country to undergo a residential rotation of three months in district hospitals as part of the course curriculum in academic session 2020-21.

This rotation termed as 'District Residency Programme' (DRP) and the postgraduate medical student undergoing training will be termed as a 'District Resident', the notification issued by the board of governors in supersession of the Medical Council of India (MCI) said.

According to the 'Post-graduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2020', satisfactory completion of the district residency will 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 will 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 third, or fourth or fifth semester of the postgraduate programme," the latest notification read, reported news agency PTI.

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.

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 organisations, the notification stated.

District residents will continue to draw full stipend/salary from their respective medical colleges for the duration of 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.

The District Health System, including the district hospitals, constitute the most important part of the country's public healthcare enterprise. District hospitals represent multi-speciality facilities providing comprehensive secondary level care. These facilities are a major source of health services for the people, the notification stated.