Lack Of Infrastructure, Doctors Can't Justify Excluding MD Geriatric Medicine From DM Super Speciality Courses: Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court has directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to reconsider and include MD (Geriatric Medicine) as an eligible feeder qualification for admission to DM super-speciality courses via National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test- Super Specialty (NEET-SS) and Institute of National Importance – Super Specialty (INISS) examination.
Justice Jasmeet Singh observed that the reasons cited by the authorities for excluding doctors holding MD in Geriatric Medicine were not sufficient to deny them the opportunity to pursue super-specialisation and advance their professional careers.
The Court was dealing with a plea filed by various doctors holding postgraduate degrees in MD (Geriatric Medicine), challenging their exclusion as an eligible feeder qualification for medicine-related DM courses.
They contended that despite repeated representations since 2018, the authorities had failed to address the exclusion of Geriatric Medicine from the list of broad specialities eligible for DM specialisations.
It was their case that the AIIMS, which conducts admissions to DM courses through the INI-SS examination, had not permitted MD (Geriatric Medicine) candidates to participate in the examination for DM courses.
The NMC, in its response, stated that MD (Geriatric Medicine) was excluded as a feeder qualification because the physical infrastructure, teaching staff, clinical material and hospitals were insufficient to make the qualification suitable as a feeder for DM super-speciality courses.
The Court noted that no other reason was decipherable from the NMC's counter-affidavit. It also noted that all the comments of the heads of the department seemed to suggest that Geriatric Medicine was not developed well enough to cater to the population they are supposed to look after, i.e., patients above the age of 60 years.
Not agreeing with the reasoning, the Court said:
“I am of the view that the said reasons are not sufficient to deny candidates holding MDs of Geriatric Medicine to enhance their career and participate in DM Super Specialty Courses.”
Justice Singh further observed that if the authorities believed that there were insufficient doctors practising Geriatric Medicine to cater to the population requiring specialised care, the appropriate measure would be to increase the number of seats and doctors in the field.
“The inadequacy in the number of doctors in the field cannot, however, be a ground to deny doctors holding an MD in Geriatric Medicine the opportunity to pursue DM Super Specialty Courses and thereby advance their professional and career prospects,” the judge said.
The Court also took note of the fact that the documents relied upon by AIIMS were from the year 2019, and that more than seven years had elapsed since the said materials were prepared.
“For the said reasons, the respondent No. 1 is directed to have a re-look and to include MD (Geriatric Medicine) as eligible for DM specializations. The needful shall be done expeditiously,” the Court said, while disposing of the plea.
Title: Kartik Mittal & Ors. v. National Medical Commission & Ors.