Doctors association flags uneven distribution of PGs under DRP

The Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association (SDPGA) has flagged the uneven distribution of postgraduates (PG) under the District Residency Programme (DRP), with PGs not being posted to a number of government hospitals (GH). A sample survey of the postings found that zero PGs were posted to 12 government hospitals, including in Cuddalore and Tiruvallur districts.

The association’s president P. Saminathan, in a letter to the Health Secretary, said that an analysis of DRP posting orders issued by the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) and Research shows that the PGs have been posted with no specific criteria being followed. Government hospitals with high Institutional Services Monitoring Report (ISMR) performance and patient care have been “penalised” as no PG has been posted under the programme. DRP is a three-month mandatory posting in district hospitals for PGs as per National Medical Commission (NMC) norms.

“As per monthly ISMR, some of these hospitals perform better offering good patient care with less number of doctors. Instead of augmenting the workforce by posting PGs under DRP, the department has not posted any PG in these hospitals, thereby adding stress to the already overworked workforce. It looks like the officials missed out on old District Headquarters Hospitals such as at Cuddalore and a number of taluk Government Hospitals in the posting and concentrated on new District Headquarters Hospitals in 14 districts, missing out on Hosur and Vedaranyam as well,” he said.

For instance, PGs from Cuddalore government medical college, Chidambaram, have been posted to nearby Sirkazhi GH and Mayiladuthurai GH in Mayiladuthurai district, while none have been posted to Cuddalore GH. Similarly, nearing 30-odd PGs were posted to Manapparai GH and none to Srirangam GH, Dr. Saminathan added.

The sample survey found that no PGs have been posted to the GHs in Vriddhachalam, Chidambaram, Panruti, Cuddalore, Avadi, Srirangam, Tiruvottiyir, Hosur, Edappadi, Denkanikottai, Manachanallur and Villupuram. For instance, Cuddalore GH, which has 88 doctors in position out of the 94 sanctioned posts, on an average, sees 83,459 outpatients and 22,011 in-patients in a month as per ISMR. It performs 122 major general surgeries and 500 deliveries.

Citing the performance of these hospitals, SDPGA requested the Department for equitable distribution of PGs based on patient services provided at these hospitals as per ISMR monthly report, and to conduct transparent counselling to post the PGs by displaying available speciality-wise vacancies. The association also demanded that PGs should be provided with accommodation and food during the DRP, and to prepare DRP posting lists six months in advance as per NMC norms.