The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed that the salary structure of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi be adopted for interns, postgraduate students, super-specialty students and medical college teachers to ensure job satisfaction and fairness in compensation.
The NMC task force on mental health stated in its report that standardising pay structure and retirement across institutions would attract high quality faculty and ensure equity.
“In alignment with UGC pay scales and AICTE pay scales regulations, we propose the AIIMS, New Delhi pay scale for all medicos,” the National Task Force on Mental Health and Well-Being of Medical Students of the NMC said in its report, as quoted by The Hindu.
What are the NMC Recommendations?
The task force has stated that standardised salaries simplify administration processes, enhance transparency and reduce unfair practices such as ghost faculty.
It also recommended implementing a rotational headship system for department heads to introduce new ideas and practices, and prevent toxic environments under inefficient leadership.
Among its various recommendations, the task force has suggested constituting mentor-mentee programmes to provide guidance and professional development opportunities.
“These programmes should involve regular meetings, training for mentors, and support for mentees. At the national level, a permanent member of the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) should serve as the nodal person to ensure the implementation of these recommendations,” the report said, as quoted by The Hindu.
At the national level, the permanent member of the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) should serve as the nodal person to ensure the implementation of these recommendations, the task force said.
Focus on Mental Illness
The task force has given special focus on mental illness among students that lead to suicide. The National Task Force on Mental Health and Wellbeing of Medical Students was set up in view of cases of suicide among medical students.
The NMC data shows 122 suicides by medical students in the last five years.
According to an online survey of 25,590 undergraduate students, 5,337 postgraduate students, and 7,035 faculty members, the committee found prevalence of a high number of mental health issues.
Around 27.8% undergraduate students said they have been diagnosed with some mental condition and 16.2% had suicidal ideation. Among post-graduate students, 31.23% reported having suicidal thoughts in their life, 10.5% thought of suicide in the last one year, and 4.4% attempted suicide in the last year.
The report highlighted that insufficient stipends that don’t match living costs, delays in payments, cause financial stability that could create mental stress among students.
The task force recommended measures including providing everyday support through the government’s counselling helpline tele-MANAS, proper amenities in college and hostel, and involving family in induction programmes to help them understand the pressures faced by medical students, as per a report by The Indian Express.
Long duty hours that lead to both physical and mental fatigue should be restricted to 74 hours a week and include one day off, a 24-hour duty, and five 10-hour shifts, it suggested. The task force also recommended give a 10-day vacation to all undergraduate and post-graduate students.
At the medical college level, the mental health and well-being committee needs to have the following structure — the dean must serve as the chair, the head of the department (HOD) of Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OBG) should be designated as the co-chairs (three co-chairs), and the HOD of Psychiatry to act as the member secretary. Additionally, the HODs of each department should be members of this committee, it said.
What is the NMC Task Force?
The NMC task force was constituted in February to address the concerns of depression and suicide among medical students.
The 15-member task force comprises Dr BM Suresh, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), as chairman.
The task force shall study existing literature and data on mental health and suicide of medical students, analyse factors contributing to these challenges and propose evidence-based strategies, as per the terms and conditions. The committee will also visit the colleges where incidents of suicides have been reported.
It shall submit a comprehensive report outlining key findings and actionable recommendations for promoting mental health of the medical students by May 31, 2024. The task force will submit the monthly progress report to the anti-ragging cell.
It will also hold regular meetings and visit medical colleges where incidents of suicide have been reported.