Shillong: Resident doctors of the Cardiology Department of NEIGRIHMS have decided to resort to protest from Wednesday by stopping routine work in the Department for the next 3 days. However they will not allow their protest to affect emergency services and bedside care.
The problem started when the NEIGRIHMS Director, Dr DM Thappa insisted that the resident doctors should submit their theses (five in number) within a definite time frame failing which they will not be allowed to sit for the Doctorate of Medicine (DM) examination. DM is a super specialty degree taken after doing MD, MS or DNB.
The Residents protested that move since there are no guidelines from the Medical Council of India (MCI) stipulating this. The resident doctors said this was nothing but an attempt to harass them since even the thesis submitted last year by them was not yet evaluated. The directive to this effect was signed by Dr Vandana Raphael, Head of Department, Pathology, and with no administrative credentials.
Later after a series of protests by the resident doctors, the Dean of Studies, Dr AC Phukan in a letter dated April 12, 2018 informed them that they are to submit their thesis/research projects at the earliest for evaluation and necessary action. However, the resident doctors insisted that the previous directive signed by Dr Raphael should be rescinded so as not to create confusion. They feel that Cardiology Department has been singled out for harassment, including non- allocation of Type C quarters which they are entitled to, although the resident doctors serve on 24×7 basis. Resident doctors who were allotted ‘Type C’ quarters were asked to vacate them. This is in violation of the rules framed by the first director of NEIGRIHMS, they informed.
NEIGRIHMS clarifies
Meanwhile, the PRO NEIGRIHMS, KK Pandita in a clarification said that all the examinations including DM Cardiology are carried out as per the rules of NEHU and that the Institute has never deprived any student of his/her right to sit for any examination nor has the institute ever refused to accept the examination fees.
“NEIGRIHMS has taken every step to facilitate the process of conducting examinations, including DM Cardiology, for students in the most objective and transparent manner as per the rules. It is also clarified that the doors of the institute are always open to resolve any misunderstanding or miscommunication, if any, among the students in the most amicable way,” the clarification says.
Obviously there is a tug of war here which if not sorted out is likely to cripple the Cardiology Department of NEIGRIHMS.
