NEET SS 2022: Fill 1000 vacant super speciality seats, writes FAIMA to Health Minister

More than 1,000 seats are still empty after the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test Super Speciality (NEET SS) 2022 counselling, said the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) on Monday, January 23 as it urged the Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya to look into the matter urgently.

In a letter to the health minister, FAIMA said there had been a significant number of seats that remained vacant in various super speciality courses pan-India, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express. "NEET SS is a highly reputed exam that opens the door for many premier institutes for the super speciality aspirant who wants to pursue DM/MCH in India. Every year, thousands of post-MD/MS Resident doctors appear in this exam, chasing their dream," the letter said.

Here's what else the letter said

It also stated that each super specialist doctor adds to the strength on the ground by helping patients and society and plays a vital role in providing strength to the existing healthcare system of this country. "If the seats remain vacant during the counselling procedure, there is not only loss of one seat but a loss to the existing doctors on ground, patient and healthcare system of the country," the letter added.

After the ongoing counselling — round I and round II — more than 1,000 seats are vacant pan-India, which will reduce the number of super speciality doctors in the country, and could lead to a lack of manpower in the existing healthcare system of this country, FAIMA said. "As the current academic year has already started for DM/MCH, late joining due to late mop-up will lead to academic loss of candidates," they added.

Mop-up round of counselling

They asked for a mop-up round of counselling for NEET SS, including for "seats of the candidates who didn't join due to other reasons to fill the existing vacant seats." 

"This step will help in utilisation of resources and provide an opportunity to deserving candidates to secure a seat in super speciality medical education," the letter said. Earlier, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) had made a similar appeal to the Director General of Health Services.