Doctors outraged over MCI proposal

Updated on: Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Doctors are upset with the step-motherly treatment given to mental health even though suicides claim 348 lives across the country every day.

In the latest move, the Medical Council of India (MCI) may cut down the two week posting of MBBS interns at a psychiatry ward to a week. “There is outrage on doctors’ chat-rooms and in emails over the MCI’s proposal,’’ said Dr Alok Sarin of the Delhi Psychiatry Society.

Indian Psychiatric Society president Dr M Thirunavukkarasu, however, said the MCI governing council had discussed the issue in Delhi. “Our office-bearers have impressed upon MCI members the need to increase training in mental health at the MBBS level itself. They will hopefully take a positive decision,’’ he said.

At present, MBBS students have to spend two weeks of the internship in the psychiatry ward. When the MCI released its Vision document a few months ago, it indicated an overhaul of medical education. Meetings are being held at the MCI’s Delhi office to finalise the new curriculum. The city has witnessed a spate of suicides in the last one week. Malad resident Nidhi Gupta committed suicide along with her children last week, while an 11-year-old Ulhasnagar student took her life allegedly after her mother read her private diary. “There is a need for families and the community to understand the symptoms of mental health problems such as depression,’’ said Dr Harish Shetty.

The psychiatrists said that 10 per cent of the population suffers from mental disorders. “This is a huge number, but there are barely 4, 500 psychiatrists across the country,’’ said Thirunavukkarasu. “ There is one minor or major mental health disorder in every family. The MCI has to take a futuristic approach and increase training for doctors,’’ said Dr Shetty.

Dr Sanjay Kumawat of Hiranandani Hospital said mental health was needed to deal with patients. “We have been petitioning the authorities for the last few years to include psychiatry as a paper for MBBS.’’

Doctors outraged over MCI proposal

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