DMER for waiving Rs 20 lakh penalty on medical students leaving their seats

Pointing out mental health issues among resident doctors, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) called for mental health-friendly policies in medical education. Dr Abhijit Helge, president of central MARD, outlined how many of the medical students, due to stress and overburdening of work, suffer from burnout and want to quit but cannot do so due to the heavy penalty.

“Several students come from rural areas, with their parents working as farmers. Shelling out Rs 20 lakh is a challenge for them. As a result, despite their mental health worsening, they continue to work, leaving a lasting scar on their minds,” said Dr Helge.

According to data from the state medical education department, Maharashtra ranked sixth nationally, with 85 postgraduate medical students dropping out in the past five years. The state also recorded 11 suicides among post-graduation medical students in the same period, sharing the place with Gujarat as the second-highest in the country.

“We acknowledge the mental health concerns among post-graduate medical students. We plan to propose eliminating the penalty for those choosing to quit for mental well-being. However, a robust system for implementation and certification is crucial to prevent potential misuse of these benefits,” said a senior officer from DMER.

Because of manpower shortage and a high patient influx, resident doctors are consistently required to work 100-120 hours per week, surpassing the National Medical Council’s recommended 48-hour limit. This prolonged workload frequently takes a toll on the mental health of students, leading to feelings of depression.

A recent study from Solapur’s Government Medical College revealed the heightened mental health struggles of MBBS students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Out of 619 participants, 57.83 per cent reported extremely severe anxiety, 16.63 per cent experienced extremely severe depression, and 10.98 per cent suffered from extremely severe stress.

Moreover, accusing DMER of neglecting their concerns, the MARD central committee has expressed dissatisfaction with sub-standard conditions of the hostels for resident doctors. They have demanded prompt resolution of these issues to ensure optimal service delivery and maintain quality patient care.

“Instead of addressing resident doctors’ urgent concerns, DMER appears to ignore our issues and defend its shortcomings when questioned by the media,” Dr Helge added.